State of Grace
by Rocky2e
Summary: Formally known as "The Long Game." Sequel to "State of Play." Now that the Underwood's are in the White House, Frank, Claire and Hannah are realizing being the First Family is more difficult than they could've imagined. Very mild spoilers. C/F
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi, welcome to the sequel of** _ **State of Play.**_ **It means so much to me that you guys wanted me to do another story. To be honest, I have no idea where I want this story to go, but we will figure it out together. For now, enjoy the latest chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to** _ **House of Cards,**_ **otherwise it would be a completely different show. All characters, besides Hannah, belong to someone else and I'm just borrowing them for fun. Any and all similarities to other stories is purely coincidental.**

 **Chapter One.**

"They aren't going to listen to you unless you make them, Francis." Claire says to Frank. Frank leans back in his desk chair and sighs. He's only been the president for less than a week, but the job is already taking a toll on him.

"The Republicans don't care what I bring to the table, they will just shoot it down like they did to Walker." Claire tilts her head ever-so-slightly. She doesn't like the doubt creeping into her husband's voice.

"Are you saying you can't do it?" Claire asks, just to get him riled up. Frank shoots his head up and glares at her. She smirks at him, daring him to challenge her. His smirk quickly matches hers. Claire walks towards his desk, stopping when she hears the door swing open. Their daughter, Hannah, saunters in and takes a seat across from her father.

"Hi, Han. How was school?" Frank asks. Claire sits down next to Hannah, ignoring her husband's request to sit on the edge of his desk.

"Boring. How's life in the Oval?" Hannah asks and leans back in her chair. Frank's lips curl into a smile, he knows his daughter didn't come here to ask about his day at the office. She wants something, and he is afraid of what it is.

"Hannah, what can we do for you?" Frank asks. He watches his daughter's cheek stain crimson. She glances at Claire and then back at him.

"Well…I was hoping to ease into that, Daddy. Since you asked, do you remember that boy I danced with at your party?"

"Yes…" Frank says hesitantly. He has a terrible feeling of where this conversation is headed.

"Right. Anyway, he's leaving town in a few days and wants to know if I wanted to go out on a date with him." Hannah's voice drops to almost a whisper by the end of her sentence.

Claire gets up from her chair and rounds the corner, standing next to Frank. Frank's eyes widen, and he immediately starts shaking his head.

"No. You are too young, and we don't even know anything about this _person._ " Hannah rolls her eyes at her father. He is way too protective of her and her mother sometimes.

"I'm almost fourteen and you met him at the party. He's the Canadian prime minister's son, not some idiot I go to school with." Claire maneuvers around her husband, opening his desk drawer and pulling out a blue file.

"Preston Brady, age 16, lives in Montreal with his parents…" Claire begins reading off from a piece of paper.

"You had him _vetted_?" Hannah asks in disbelief. She expected that from her father, but not her mother. Frank looks up at Claire, impressed she actually had Hannah's date looked into.

"Of course. I had a feeling he liked you." Claire says nonchalantly and hands the file to Frank. Frank slips on his glasses and starts glancing through the file, shaking his head in disapproval every so often. Hannah waits for her father to make a decision, although she is sure of what that will be.

"Your mother and I will have to discuss it later," Frank finally mumbles after a few moments. Hannah sighs, everyone in this room knows what that means. She's lucky he didn't shoot her down right away. Not that it would've stopped her, if her parents taught her one thing, it's to scheme.

"Fine. Lauren's coming over to do homework. Let me know when you make a decision, he goes back home soon." Hannah leaves her parents in her dad's office to contemplate her offer. Claire scoops up the file Frank tossed on his desk.

"What are you thinking, Francis?" Claire asks and sits down on the corner of his desk. Frank rubs his face in his hands. His daughter starting to date is the last thing he needs to be stressing out about.

"I don't think she should. She's too young, regardless of who it is."

"I disagree. You know she's going to just find a way to see him. She's too much like us."

"That's not an excuse to let her just do what she wants, Claire."

"We have to trust her to make the right choices and be independent or she is going to resent us." Frank realizes his wife's biggest fear is having a strained relationship with Hannah, like she did with her mother, but that's not an excuse to let their daughter do as she pleases.

"How independent do you want her to be? I don't want our daughter to put herself in a position where she has to…" Frank trails off, knowing what he almost said would hurt his wife's feelings.

"Finish your thought, Francis." They know what he was going to say. _I don't want our daughter to put herself in a position where she has to have two abortions before college, like you._

"Look Claire, I think Hannah is too young. There will be plenty of time for her to date, but now is not it."

"Fine. Then I will let you explain to Hannah why she can't go on a date with someone surrounded by Secret Service agents. I have a meeting to get to." Claire hops off his desk and quietly shuts the door behind her. Frank swears softly to himself. He thought his wife would be on the same page as him and it wouldn't lead to an argument.

Instead of going to her meeting, Claire walks into the residence, surprised to see Hannah and Lauren sprawled out on the floor of the living room.

"Hey Mrs. Underwood," Lauren says politely. Hannah lifts her head up from her homework to acknowledge her mother, who looks irritated. She is guessing her parents fought about whether she can go on a date or not.

"Hi Lauren," Claire responds with a forced smile. "Hannah, tell your father that I went for a run if he comes back."

"Okay…" Her mother going for a run without her father is the tell-tale sign of a fight between them. And the fact her mother said _if_ instead of _when_ is a huge giveaway.

"What's up with your mom? She looked pissed." Lauren comments when she is sure Claire is out of earshot. Hannah rolls her eyes.

"I asked my parents if I could go on a date with Preston and they must've not agreed on it. Whatever. They'll get over it." The teenager knows better than to intervene on her parents' marriage. Her parents love each other enough to sort through it out on their own. Hannah laughs at her best friend's concerned look. She seems more worried than Hannah does.

"Don't you think you should go talk to your dad and make him apologize or something?" Lauren asks. Hannah shakes her head, if Lauren only knew how her parents' relationship worked.

"They have this thing where they don't apologize to each other. It's really odd. Trust me, by the time they go to bed tonight, everything will be fine between them." Lauren doesn't look convinced but doesn't push the issue.

An hour later, Frank comes into the residence where the two teenagers are still preoccupied with their homework.

"Hey Daddy," Hannah says without looking up. If her theory is correct, he only cares about where her mother is. Their conversation will be brief.

"Hey Mr. Underwo…Sorry, President Underwood." Lauren says. Hannah laughs to herself while her father glances around, presumably looking for Claire.

"Where's your mother?" Frank asks. Hannah's eyes shift over at Lauren. _I told you so,_ Hannah silently communicates to her best friend.

"She went for a run. I don't know when she's going to be back. What'd you do to piss her off?" Hannah asks. She shudders at the glare she receives from her father. She should know better than to bring up a fight her parents have in front of anyone else but the family.

"Let her know that I would like to talk to her when she gets back," Frank says and quickly exits the residence. _I'm sure she will love to talk to you,_ Hannah thinks to herself.

"Oh my God, your dad looked so mad at you. I almost shit myself at the glare he gave you," Lauren whispers to Hannah. Hannah giggles into her hand. Usually, she is scared of her dad, but after he wouldn't let her go out with Preston, she's feeling vindictive.

"He's just mad because my mom's mad at him."

Lauren leaves after the pair finish their homework and Hannah is left to feed herself for dinner. Claire is still out running, and Frank is presumably sulking in his office. Hannah calls the chef to have something brought up for her as her mother comes in the residence.

"Hey, I just called down to have a salad made for me, do you want anything?" Hannah asks Claire.

"No. I'm going to take a shower. Where's your father?" Claire asks. Hannah rolls her eyes, she's tired of playing the intermediary between her parents.

"He's looking for you. I think he wants to talk to you. What exactly happened between the two of you after I left Daddy's office?"

Claire takes a napkin to wipe the sweat off her face and throws it away.

"Nothing." Her parents still pretend like Hannah is four and doesn't notice when they argue. The problem is, is they go to such great lengths to pretend like everything is fine that they essentially give themselves away.

"Okay." Hannah shakes her head and goes into her room. If her parents don't want to clue her in on what's going on between them, then there's nothing the teenager can do. By the time breakfast rolls around, the two of them will be smirking and plotting over a cup of coffee like they always do.

Claire unpeels her sweaty clothing clinging to her skin and steps into the shower, letting the steamy water envelop her. What Frank said, almost said, to her earlier today was beneath them. He should understand more than anyone to leave the past where it belongs.

In his office, Frank smokes a cigarette, something he usually does with his wife. He sighs and finds no joy in smoking alone. He tosses the half-smoked cigarette into a cup of water and goes in search of Claire. She is in the master bedroom, wrapped in a towel. Claire doesn't acknowledge his presence in their room. If he didn't make an appearance by the time she got in bed, she was going to sleep in a different room.

"Hey," Frank begins, shoving his hands in his pockets. Claire glances at him over her shoulder before dropping the towel, walking naked into the closet.

"Have you made a decision?"

"I thought we should talk first…about earlier."

"I've voiced my opinion." She isn't making this easy for him, not that she should. Frank watches her change into her pajamas, a grin pulling at his lips when he sees the scar on her shoulder. It's his new favorite part of her body.

"Claire, you are right. I'm being overprotective. After everything that's happened in the past few months, I don't want anything else to happen to her." Hannah was in an accident and kidnapped as well as watching her mother get shot and her father killing someone in front of her. He couldn't protect her from that. Nonetheless, he will do everything he can to do so in the future. Both of them are experiencing lingering guilt from Pierce's rampage and it's beginning to affect their marriage.

"I would've been seven months pregnant today," Claire whispers. She isn't the type to look back on what could've happened, but the thought has been on her mind all day. Frank nods solemnly, there's no need to offer any sort of apology for something they had no control over. His wife would only scoff at the notion. "We are better than what we were to each other earlier."

Frank strides towards her, pinching her cheek with the pad of his thumb. She's right, of course. They don't need to be getting into petty arguments. His job is hard enough without the added strain of fighting with his wife.

"We are a team. I shouldn't've doubted that. What I said to you…" She cuts him off, an apology is not necessary.

"I know you didn't mean it, but I haven't changed how I feel."

"I'm willing to compromise." Her lips turn up into a smirk. She knew he would eventually see the situation her way.

"How so?"

"Hannah can go on a date here, at the White House, where we can keep an eye on them."

"I like that idea, Francis. As long as you don't move the Oval into wherever they decide to have their date." He doesn't say anything back to shoot down the notion. He would be remiss to not check in on their daughter while she is on her date to make sure everything is going as it should.

"Well, maybe a quick check. And I want Meechum to be there." Claire nods in agreement, they trust the agent to keep watch over their daughter.

"Are you coming to bed?" Claire asks, skimming her hand over his white dress shirt.

"I have more work to do. I'll be back in a while." He presses a quick kiss to her lips and leaves her in the master bedroom.

The next morning, just as Hannah thought, her parents are eating breakfast together at the dining table.

"So predictable," Hannah mumbles to herself and pours herself a glass of milk before joining her parents. Frank and Claire are both preoccupied with skimming the newspaper to notice their daughter sit down. "Mom, Daddy, have you discussed…you know…?"

Claire looks to her husband to answer their daughter's question. It was him that had such a problem with Hannah dating in the first place, he can be the one to explain his terms.

"We have. And we are allowing you to go this date, with conditions."

"What are they?"

"The date has to be here, at the White House, where your mother and I can keep an eye on you two." Hannah bites her lip while contemplating her father's offer. She thought they would just shoot her down and not come up with rules for her date.

"Fair enough. I will invite him to the White House screening room after school today. Anything else?"

"Edward is to be with you at all times," Claire adds. She knows her daughter inherited her conniving personality. Claire wouldn't put it past Hannah to trick the secret service, so she can run off and spend some alone time with her date.

"Fine. He can hover anxiously outside. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes." Frank says for him and Claire. He trusts his daughter to adhere to their rules.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you two," Hannah downs the rest of her milk and brushes a kiss to her mother and father's cheeks. Frank shakes his head as their daughter is exiting the residence.

"What?" Claire asks with amusement. Her husband has this dopey smile on his face she rarely sees.

"Hannah is your daughter, I hope you know that." Claire smirks while taking a sip of her coffee.

"Good." Frank knocks on the table twice and leaves his wife at the table.

Later on, that afternoon, Claire decides to drop by the Oval Office in between meetings to run something by Frank. Doug is in the office, but her husband is nowhere to be found.

"Doug, where's Francis?" Claire asks. She has a pretty good idea as to where he is at but wants to get confirmation. Doug looks up from his computer and looks around, not realizing his boss is gone.

"I think he said something about going to a meeting with the Leadership," Doug says. Claire frowns and crosses her arms. Her husband is ridiculous.

"Hannah has a date this afternoon, so I'm sure that is where he is," Claire informs her husband's chief of staff. Doug takes his glasses off and shrugs.

"I wouldn't know anything about that." Claire nods and leaves the Oval, heading across the White House to the screening room. Sure enough, she spots her husband talking to Meechum quietly outside.

"Francis," Claire scolds with her arms crossed. She closes the gap between them, pulling him aside.

"I told you I was going to check in on her," Frank says innocently.

"How long have you been here?"

"I just got here."

"And?" Claire asks. Frank reaches down to grab her arm, bringing her to the entrance to the screening room. Claire observes Hannah sitting next to her date, watching a movie. Frank swings his arm around her chest, bringing her closer to him. "What movie are they watching?"

" _The Maltese Falcon,_ " Frank tells her.

"Good choice."

Hannah can hear her parents talking outside and she rolls her eyes. She glances over her shoulder and sees her mother's distinctive silhouette in the doorway.

"I'll be right back," Hannah tells Preston. She stands up and maneuvers around him, going to where her parents are standing. "Seriously?"

Frank removes his arm from around Claire. He isn't apologizing for making sure their daughter is safe.

"I was on my way to a meeting and had some extra time. I thought I would see how things are going," Frank explains.

"You don't have extra time for anything, Daddy. And you?" Hannah asks Claire.

"I was looking for your father. You should go, you don't want to keep your date waiting." Hannah glares at her parents, but reluctantly goes back into the screening room.

"We should leave," Claire tells Frank, tugging on his hand. They have done their due diligence and it's time for Hannah to enjoy herself without her parents lurking. Frank follows Claire and they split up, heading into their separate meetings.

"We don't think you should run in 2016," Bob Birch, the Speaker of the House, says to Frank. Frank glances around at the other members of the Congressional Leadership who are all nodding in unison. He isn't surprised by this, it's not a secret his presidency isn't getting off to a great start. Frank just thought their announcement would come further down the line.

Outside his office, he can hear Claire and Doug's raised voices arguing with each other. Frank delays in answering the Leadership, wondering what is happening. His wife rarely yells at anyone, regardless of the situation.

"He's in an important meeting with the Congressional Leadership," Doug says to her.

"I don't care, Doug. I need to see my husband!" Claire bypasses him and opens the door, ignoring everyone staring at her.

"What's going on?" Frank asks. The heightened worry lines on Claire's face is a huge indicator something is terribly wrong.

"I need to talk to you privately, _now._ " Claire isn't going to speak about their private family business in front of the Leadership, especially Jackie Sharp. They have a growing suspicion Jackie has been talking with reporters about the Underwood administration.

"Clear the room. We will reschedule this later," Frank says. He knows Claire wouldn't interrupt a meeting unless it's important. The Leadership disperses, leaving only Frank and Claire.

"What's wrong?" Frank asks Claire again.

"Meechum called me, he said he heard Hannah screaming in the screening room." Frank's fist clenches. He swings his blazer over his shoulders and grabs Claire's hand. They make a brisk walk to the screening room, ignoring curious looks from their staff. It's not everyday they see the president and first lady running through the White House.

When they get to the screening room, Meechum meets them at the door, Hannah and her date are nowhere to be found.

"What happened, Edward?" Claire asks. Meechum shakes his head and points inside the room where Hannah is audibly sobbing.

 **A/N 2: I hope you guys liked the first chapter. Next chapter, Frank and Claire learn what happened and Hannah discovers a secret about her parents. Reviews really help me write, so please leave one on your way out. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Welcome back everyone and thank you, as always, for the kind words you left me. I don't know how long this story is going to be. I'm thinking about ten chapters, but I will expand if I see people are interested in more. Before you read, I just want to warn you there are some very mild descriptions of sexual assault. It's nothing too bad, but I didn't want anyone to go into this chapter blind. Enjoy the latest chapter!**

 **Chapter Two.**

"What happened, Edward?" Claire asks. Her and Frank left Hannah with her date less than an hour ago. It seemed as if everything was going fine.

"I think I should let Hannah explain, ma'am," Meechum leaves Frank and Claire outside of the screening room. Frank sets his hand on Claire's shoulder, gently nudging her into the room. Inside, all of the lights are on, the credits to _Maltese Falcon_ roll across the screen. Hannah hasn't moved from the seat she was sitting in during her date. Her legs are pressed tightly into her chest, and her back is still to her parents.

Frank clenches his fist when he catches sight of his daughter's face. The teenager's mascara is smeared, her ponytail is undone. Visible bruises are staining her skin violet on her neck and wrists. Claire swallows her gasp at the sight of her daughter. All she can see is herself, over twenty-five years ago after Dalton McGinnis raped her. The same hollow, anguished look flickering across Hannah's face mirrored her own.

Claire and Frank sit on opposite sides of their daughter, who hasn't said a word. Frank reaches out to touch Hannah's shoulder, but she flinches away from the contact. He meets Claire's eyes over Hannah's. His wife shakes her head. Forcing Hannah to speak or act in a certain way is not going to assist in the healing process. The teenager is going to have to come to terms with what happened to her on her own timetable.

Hannah sniffs and wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. She isn't sure what to say. Her father was right, she shouldn't've gone on a date with Preston. He knew exactly what he wanted from her and when she wouldn't give it to him, he got violent. Thankfully, Meechum was right outside before things escalated too far.

"Han, you don't have to talk if you don't want to," Frank mumbles, using his special nickname for his daughter. The teenager is a lot like Claire, and he knows it takes time for them to open up. Hannah glances at her mother, who nods in agreement. For as much as they want to know about what happened, Frank and Claire are smart enough to put the pieces together on their own.

"A…after you left…he said it was sweet that you guys checked up on me, but I…I had nothing to worry about. He…threw his arm around me and…we kissed. I started to back away…but he grabbed my face. I shook my head…but he kept kissing me. I t-t…tried to push him off me, but he grabbed my wrists and held them over my head. He covered my mouth…with one hand…and started biting my neck. I…tried to scream…but I c-couldn't. He told me I wanted it…and I should stop pretending I didn't." Hannah sniffs and shakes her head, tears cascading down her cheeks.

Pure anger electrifies Frank's features and he bolts out of his seat.

"Francis!" Claire shouts. Her husband isn't listening and is making purposeful strides out of the screening room. She doesn't want to leave their daughter right now, but she is terrified of what Frank will do to Preston.

"Go. He needs you to reason with him," Hannah whispers. The teenager wants to be by herself anyway.

"I will be right back," Claire promises and sprints to catch up to her husband. She's seen this blind rage from him before, at the pinning ceremony. He would've killed McGinnis if it wasn't for her pleading with him to not make a scene. She reaches him, placing her hands on his chest to capture his attention. "Francis, we can't."

"I am not letting that little shit get away with this! He tried to rape our daughter, Claire!" Frank yells. Claire glares at White House staffers milling about in the hallway. She will not have their staff knowing details about their private life, especially Hannah's.

"I know what he did, Francis."

"Then you know exactly why I have to do this."

Before Claire can respond, Frank starts walking away from her. She follows him without saying anything. There's nothing she can do to change his mind, but she comes along to keep him in check.

They see Preston walking out of the Secret Service office tucked inside the White House. Meechum is with him, along with another Secret Service agent. Frank storms over to the teenager, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him against the wall. Meechum motions to the other agent to be hands-off. Whatever Frank wants to do to the boy who hurt Hannah, Meechum will let him.

"Mr. President, you can't touch me. I have diplomatic immunity," Preston says with a smug grin. A frown curls on Frank's lips. The teenager is right, diplomatic protocol prevents a meeting exactly like this one. Tension could erupt between the United States and Canada depending on what Frank does to the prime minister's son.

Reluctantly, Frank releases Preston from his grip. The teenager smirks and straightens the lapels of his blazer.

"I don't want you near my daughter ever again. You are not welcome at the White House," Frank informs him. Preston scoffs, brushing off Frank's threat entirely.

"Did Hannah tell you that she didn't want what she was asking for? That little slut was begging for it."

To everyone's surprise, Claire steps forward and slaps Preston across the face.

"Get him out of here," Claire tells Meechum and the other agent. Frank turns and clasps Claire's hand as they walk back towards the screening room to be with Hannah. "He won't tell anyone he got backhanded by the First Lady of the United States."

Frank laughs and squeezes his wife's hand. He loves Claire for doing what he couldn't. Although, Frank was fully ready to accept the political repercussions of hitting Preston after his comment about Hannah.

"I have to go to a press conference," Frank informs her. The last thing he wants to do is talk to the press, who more than likely got a tip about what just happened from a staffer.

"I'm going to look after Hannah." Having been through a situation similar to her daughter's, Claire is better equipped to watch Hannah than Frank.

Frank and Claire separate, going to opposite sides of the White House. Hannah hasn't moved from her spot in the screening room. Claire sits down next to her, waiting for her daughter to speak first.

"Did Daddy hit him?" Hannah asks after several moments of silence. She is well aware of her father's temper and wouldn't be shocked at all if her dad punched Preston.

"No. I did." Hannah turns her head sharply, wanting to see if her mother is serious. A miniscule grin chases across the teenager's face at Claire's confession.

Admittedly, Claire doesn't know what to say to comfort Hannah. She never told her mother about her own sexual assault because there was no point. Elizabeth Hale would've found some way to blame Claire for what happened to her. Claire is determined not to repeat the same mistake with Hannah, but she isn't sure how.

"Hannah, when I was in college, before I met your dad, I was raped." Claire mumbles softly. Hannah wipes her eyes and swivels in her seat to face her mother. The teenager has never heard Claire speak about this before. She knows it happened, but not the details.

"Was it that guy Daddy pinned at that dumb ceremony you two had to go to?" A deep furrow appears on Claire's eyebrows.

"How did you know?"

"I heard you and Daddy talk about it after you got home that night. You two aren't as quiet as you think you are sometimes." Claire chooses to ignore Hannah's comment, knowing it has an underlying meaning.

"Anyway, I never told my mom about it. The only person that knew for a long time was your dad. He didn't even know who did it until the night of the ceremony."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Hannah is surprised her mother is speaking so openly about a past trauma. It makes her feel better knowing she isn't alone in what happened to her.

"I was…ashamed. I knew what happened to me wasn't my fault, but I still thought it was."

"How did you get over it?"

Claire hesitates to answer her daughter's question. The truth is, Claire still hasn't gotten over it even after nearly thirty years. It's not at the forefront of her mind like it used to be, but every-so-often, a scent or the sound of someone's voice will trigger a flashback of the assault.

"All of that anger and hatred I feel towards him I channel into doing something else. I told your father to do the same thing. We have to Hannah, it's our only option. You have to smother that fear, so it doesn't control your life."

Hannah nods, fully comprehending what her mother is telling her. Being scared of Preston is only going to get in the way of what she wants to accomplish before her father leaves office.

"Come on, take a shower and change into some fresh clothes. You will feel better," Claire encourages. Hannah watches her mother stand up and hold out her hand for her to grasp.

Meanwhile, Frank is preoccupied with briefing the press on the ongoing issue between Russia and the United States. He opens the floor for questions from the media.

"Kate, I'll go to you," Frank says and points to Kate Baldwin, a reporter from the _Washington Herald._

"Thank you, Mr. President. Could you comment on a report that your daughter was just assaulted in the screening room by the Canadian prime minister's son?"

From the residence, Claire is watching Frank's press conference while their daughter is in the shower. She notices Frank is taken aback by how quickly this information was able to disseminate through the White House. Claire is thankful Hannah isn't in the room to hear this exchange on national television.

Frank bites lip, hearing the buzzing stemming from the reporters who weren't apprised of this new development within the Underwood family. His first priority is, of course, to protect his daughter's privacy. However, if he lies and people find out it's true, his credibility could be diminished.

"The First Lady and I will not be commenting on anything regarding our daughter. Hannah is a child that deserves to have her privacy maintained. Next question."

Later that night, Claire comes out of the bathroom while Frank is wrapping up a phone call in their bed. She pulls the blankets back, sliding under the covers next to him. Frank turns his head slightly and holds his arm out for her, smirking when he senses her flush against him.

"I look forward to speaking with you soon, Viktor," Frank says politely and hangs up the phone. He coils his arms around his wife's thin frame, rubbing her shoulders gently. "Is Hannah asleep?"

"Yes, but she probably won't be for long." Claire realizes that more than likely, Hannah is going to experience vivid nightmares about the incident with Preston earlier today. "You were right."

Frank tilts his head down in confusion, locking eyes with his wife.

"Right about what?"

"The date. I shouldn't've argued with you about it. I just thought I was doing what was best for Hannah."

"I know." Frank tightens his grip on Claire. Of course, his wife didn't anticipate Preston doing what he did to Hannah. He didn't either, but that wasn't the reason he didn't want Hannah to go on a date with him. Unfortunately, what's done is done and they have no choice but to move forward.

"I told her about McGinnis, about what happened to me. I told her she has to use that hatred and anger towards something constructive."

"The same thing you told me that night after the ceremony." Claire nods against his chest.

Silence envelops them for several moments, Frank is convinced Claire has fallen asleep. However, she moves against him, slinging her arm over his abdomen.

"Did we do this to her?" Claire mumbles against the fabric of his pajamas.

"I don't know," Frank answers honestly. He isn't sure if Preston targeted Hannah because she is their daughter or he's just a violent, immature child feeding off his father's power. Nevertheless, the guilt they feel is all-consuming.

The next day, Claire drops by the Oval after Frank's meeting concludes. She's in between meetings of her own but wanted to keep her husband apprised of what's going on with their daughter.

"Hey," Frank says as he waves her in. Claire sits in her typical spot on the corner of his desk. "How's Han?"

"She's okay. She was a little reluctant to go to school today, but ultimately decided to go. I told her she could call us or come home with Meechum if it got to be too much for her."

Frank nods, leaning back into his chair. He meant to talk to Hannah yesterday, but the day got away from him. By the time he made it back to the residence, Hannah was already asleep.

"Did she say anything else?" Claire shakes her head and bites her lip.

"I didn't want to upset her right before she left for school."

"Cigarette?" Frank asks, opening his desk drawer where their secret stash is hidden.

"No. I was thinking about having a party for Hannah this weekend to celebrate her birthday." Frank furrows his eyebrows, he can tell by the mischievous glint in Claire's eye that she is planning something.

"You hate parties." This goes beyond doing something nice for Hannah, Claire has an ulterior motive for hosting the party.

"Yes, I do, but the Canadian prime minister loves them." It takes Frank a second to catch up to her line of thinking. Knowing Claire, she wants to find a way to make the prime minister pay for what his son did to their daughter. He isn't sure how she is going to achieve this yet, but he is on board for whatever she comes up with.

"Interesting." Frank matches his wife's smirk. Claire hops off the desk and turns around to face him before walking out of the Oval.

"Francis, talk to Hannah. I think she would like that."

"Of course."

About mid-afternoon, Frank tells his executive assistant to reschedule his three o'clock meeting. He intends on following his wife's request and speaking with their daughter. If Hannah doesn't want to talk, then he will accept it, but he wants to try.

Frank walks into the residence, expecting Hannah to be sprawled out at the dining table doing her homework like she always is. Sometimes, Lauren is with her, and if that's the case, Frank will hold off. Hannah is nowhere to be found. Frank's palms start to sweat as he goes from room to room, hoping to see his daughter.

"Hannah?" Frank calls out in the living room. He waits, but there's no response from the teenager. Frank whips out his phone and dials Meechum. The agent hopefully knows where Hannah is. He doesn't want to call Hannah directly because he doesn't want to make it seem like he is bothering her.

"Sir, she's on the lawn, at the bench you guys sit at," Meechum tells Frank discreetly.

"I know the place, thanks Meechum." Frank hangs up his phone and walks back to the Oval to grab his coat before heading outside.

Whenever something is bothering Hannah, she always sits at this bench outside of the White House. They aren't sure, but Frank and Claire think that the White House can be suffocating for their daughter at times. Hannah wants to remove herself from the chaos her father's position entails.

From a distance, Frank can see the back of Hannah's frame, sitting on the bench. Meechum hovers close by, keeping an eye on the surrounding area in case anyone wants to bother the teenager.

Frank approaches and sits down next to Hannah without asking. The teenager smiles slightly and scoots over, making room for her father.

"How'd you know I was here?" Hannah asks. She figured her father went back to the residence and went ballistic when he couldn't find her. They glance at Meechum who quickly averts their eyes.

"How was school today?" Hannah laughs and shakes her head. She gives her father credit for trying, but that isn't the question he wants to ask her. The Underwoods don't do vulnerability well. Hannah learned quickly as a child that her parents are direct people and they don't do small talk. And when they do, it's mostly to steer someone in a direction they pre-determined before they even started the conversation.

"The last time you asked me that question was the day I came home from school after mom got shot." Frank remembers the argument he got into with Hannah that day. Hannah wasn't forthcoming about what was bothering her, but Frank eventually dragged it out of her.

"You know Han, after a similar thing happened to your mom, I didn't know what to say…or do. We weren't married yet, just dating, but it took her a long time to admit it happened, and even longer for her to fully talk about it. And that's okay."

Hannah meets her father's eyes for the first time since he sat down. She doesn't know much about her parents' life before her, just that they met in college, fell in love and decided to devote their life to politics. She didn't find out about her mother's rape until a year ago, when she overheard her parents talking about it after they got home from the pinning ceremony. Hannah knew if she asked her mom about it then, she wouldn't get a conversation, only a mere acknowledgement that it happened.

"So…how did you two get over it?" Frank shakes his head and readjusts slightly on the bench.

"We really never did, but your mom didn't let it define her. She knew if she let it, it would take over her life."

"I think I can do that too." He smiles at his daughter, reaching up to pinch her cheek like he does to Claire.

"I know you can. It's going to take a while, but you have survived everything that's happened to us in the past six months, this is just something else. I know it's not fair, but this is the price of admission."

Hannah is glad her parents aren't coddling her, but rather, are choosing to look after her in their own way. She appreciates them backing off and giving her space to process what Preston did to her while still showing concern about her well-being.

Frank abruptly stands up and shoves his hands in his coat pockets. Hannah remains seated, wanting to spend a few more minutes outside before re-immersing herself in the White House atmosphere.

"Hey Daddy, why is Mom throwing a party for my birthday this weekend? She hates parties more than I do."

Frank swings around, wondering how his daughter could've found out about it, or whether it wasn't supposed to be a surprise at all.

"Who told you?" Hannah rolls her eyes and lets out a sigh, the chilly November air making it visible between them.

"I bribed your assistants to keep me updated on anything happening in the White House, in case I need to avoid something like this." Frank isn't surprised by Hannah's confession at all, she took a page right out of their playbook.

"Your mom has something planned at your party."

"What?"

"I don't know. We are just going to have to wait and find out."

 **A/N 2: So…that's all you get for now. I meant to end this chapter on a totally different note, but I got an idea and wanted to run with it. I need some ideas for Hannah's party, I hope you guys can leave some reviews with your thoughts. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Welcome back guys, it's been way too long! Thank you for leaving me some reviews on this and** _ **The Fallout**_ **, I really appreciate it. I just wanted to say this story doesn't follow** _ **HOC**_ **as close as my other ones. It's a little lighter, and it jumps in and out of the plot of the show. With that being said, please enjoy the latest chapter!**

 **Chapter Three**

"So, Hannah, what do you want for your birthday?" Claire asks one morning while she's bringing coffee over to the breakfast table for herself and Frank. Hannah glances up from her cereal and shrugs.

"Oh, I don't know. World peace. People at school to stop sucking up to me because of Daddy. The usual." Frank manages a smirk at his daughter's retort. He knows how much it irritates Hannah that her classmates all the sudden want to be friends with her since he's become president.

"I was thinking something more tangible," Claire responds and takes a sip of her coffee. Hannah and Frank exchange confused glances. Claire is the last person to care about birthdays, refusing to acknowledge even her own.

"What's with the sudden interest? Last year you almost forgot to wish me happy birthday on my actual birthday." Claire doesn't meet Hannah's inquisitive eyes, choosing to focus intently on her eggs. "I thought we could just invoke the Underwood birthday rule this year. Besides the party, of course. Although, the party is more for you two and your scheme than it is for me."

"Underwood birthday rule?" Frank asks, momentarily tearing his eyes away from his wife to address his daughter. Hannah rolls her eyes as if what she said is obvious.

"Yeah, you know, no cake, no gifts. It's kind of our thing." Frank nods in understanding. His daughter does have a point. Their family has never been big on birthdays. He and Claire never wanted to spoil their daughter, despite having the means to do so. They've always tried to provide Hannah with what she's wanted, within limits.

"Send me a list and I will get you something. I'll see you two later," Claire dusts a kiss to Hannah's cheek and then her husband's. Frank and Hannah linger at the table, each of their brows furrowed.

"What's up with Mom?" Hannah asks when she's sure her mother is out of hearing range.

"I don't know, but you better do what she wants. I'll talk to her later."

"Okay. I should get to school." Hannah will let her father deal with her mother's out-of-nowhere-desire to shower her with presents.

Frank leaves the residences shortly after his daughter and shuts himself in the Oval for the day. Every time he gets a spare minute to think, his mind wanders to the breakfast this morning. By lunchtime, he goes in search of his wife, so they can talk without their daughter present.

"I'm sorry, Mr. President, the First Lady is unavailable," Claire's assistant tells Frank.

"Did she say where she was?" Most days, if they can fit it into their schedule, Frank and Claire try to have lunch together. It's not unusual for her to be busy, but it is odd that he didn't know she was. Finding out his wife has other plans through her assistant is more than a little troubling.

"No, she left about an hour ago without saying where she was going or when she would be back. I can try and call her if you'd like."

"No, that's okay, thank you." It's clear to him that his wife needs her space right now. Whatever is going on, she needs to work through it on her own. He's confident she will bring it up to him when she's ready.

Its well after dark by the time he returns to the residences. Hannah and Claire have already gone to bed. Frank quietly sneaks into their bedroom, being careful not to let the light spill into the room. He changes into his pajamas and slides into bed next to his wife.

Claire has the sheets balled up in her fists and abruptly wakes up at the weight of her husband. Frank is caught off guard, but quickly realizes his wife was in the throes of a nightmare. She's experienced them before, after the McGinnis rape. It took a lot of coaxing on his part to get her to elaborate on her bad dreams. Most nights, she would shut him out completely.

"Hey," Frank whispers, gently resting his hand on her shoulder. Claire flinches away from him, not fully awake yet. She rubs her eyes and realizes Frank is lying in bed beside her.

"Hi." He waits to see if she's going to say something about her dream, but she doesn't. Instead she turns so her back is towards him. Frank skims his hand down her shoulder, half-smiling when she reaches around and clasps his hand. Claire gently pulls his arm to her body, prompting him to scoot closer to her in bed. "Goodnight." Her tone indicates she is already half-asleep. Their conversation will have to be tabled until tomorrow.

The next day, Frank is wrapped up in back-to-back meetings and can't slip out of the Oval. Claire hasn't come to visit him, which isn't typical. Even if they can't have a meal together, she will stop by in the afternoon with a sandwich. Although, based on last night, he isn't expecting her to drop by anytime soon.

When he's finally able to leave the office, Frank walks into the residences. Hannah is doing homework at the table but pushes it aside immediately when she sees her father.

"Where's your mother?" Frank asks, as he always does if Claire isn't lingering around.

"She went for a run, _without you._ " Hannah stares at her father, looking for how he's going to digest her words. Frank blinks, wondering if his daughter is implying something he's not understanding.

"Okay. I'm sure she will be back soon." Hannah scoffs and crosses her arms.

"What is going on between you two?" Frank furrows his eyebrows. He and Claire aren't exactly fighting, but they aren't exactly how they usually are with each other either.

"What do you mean?" It's doubtful, but Frank is wondering if Claire disclosed something to their daughter when he wasn't around. Hannah shakes her head in disbelief.

"After everything that's happened to us in the past year, I cannot believe you guys are shutting me out." Frank is at a loss for words. Whatever his daughter saw or heard is being misinterpreted.

"Han, nobody is hiding anything from you." _Except your mom, but she's hiding something from me too._

"I heard you and Mom arguing last night, Daddy. She was yelling at you." Frank thinks back to the night before. He didn't even get home until Claire was fast asleep, experiencing a nightmare. That's what Hannah heard.

Frank steps closer to Hannah, setting his hands on her shoulders. Surprisingly, Hannah doesn't pull away.

"Hannah, I didn't get home until your mother was already asleep. What was she saying?" By the confusion on her father's face, Hannah realizes she mistakenly accused him.

"She…she was yelling your name…I didn't hear you…yelling back…" Her voice drifts off. Last night, Hannah thought it was strange she only heard her mother, not her father yelling. When he's angry, Frank makes no attempt to hide his temper.

"Your mother was having a nightmare last night. She wasn't yelling _at_ me, she was yelling _for_ me." Hannah's eyebrows raise in shock.

"Why was she having a nightmare? What was it about?" Frank is toeing a fine line. Claire wouldn't want Hannah to worry about her, nor know the details of her demons. She is fiercely protective of their daughter, but Hannah deserves to know the truth.

"Most likely it was about the man who attacked her. I'm not sure though. She didn't want to talk about it." Of all the things Frank wanted Hannah and Claire to have in common, dealing with the aftermath of sexual assault was last on his list.

"What should we do?" Hannah wants to help her mother, knowing Claire would do the same thing for her.

"Nothing. I will talk to her. Do _not_ give her grief about getting you a birthday present. For whatever reason, she feels like she must do this for you. Just go along with it."

"Okay. I'm sorry Daddy, I shouldn't've accused you of lying." Frank reaches to pinch Hannah's cheek.

"It's okay. We will get this sorted out, I promise." After everything Hannah's been through, she doesn't need to be dealing with worrying about her parents. Hannah nods and goes back to doing her homework.

They skip family dinner that night, mostly due to the fact Claire went for a long run. Frank does some work in his study, waiting for his wife to return to the White House. He hears her come home and chat quietly with Hannah about her day at school. Then, Claire goes into their bedroom and he can hear the shower running moments later.

He holds off until the water stops running and tosses his papers aside. Frank crosses the hall, catching Hannah's eye. He winks at her, quietly reassuring her he will handle this situation.

Claire is changing into her pajamas when she hears the bathroom door open. She quickly dabs her eyes with a Kleenex, hoping her husband doesn't see her crying. Of course, Frank catches her. She can tell by the concern rippling across his face.

"What's wrong?" He asks, keeping his voice down so Hannah can't hear their conversation. Claire discards the Kleenex and clears her throat, attempting to wash away any emotion trapped in her throat.

"Nothing. I'm fine." It's an excuse Frank won't buy, but she really doesn't care. She turns to face him and sighs. They are thinking the same thing: _when you don't involve me, we're in freefall._

"You had a nightmare last night, Claire. Is there a reason you haven't talked to me about it?" He hates it when they keep things from each other. It undermines their marriage and chips away at their unwavering trust in one another.

"It was McGinnis…he had me and Hannah…I couldn't stop him...Francis…I didn't…" Claire's bottom lip starts trembling and she covers her mouth with her fingers. Frank steps towards her, coiling his arm around her back. Claire tucks her head into his shoulder, needing a few minutes to compose herself.

Claire's been suppressing this lingering trauma for over thirty years, only addressing it in fragments of time. After what happened to Hannah, all those feelings have bubbled to the surface. She pulls away from him, wiping the corners of her eyes with the pads of her fingers. He watches her tuck her feelings away. His fingers span out over her cheeks, forcing her to look at him.

"You don't have to feel ashamed about this." He knows his wife likes to move on from things without fully addressing them, but it isn't working for her in this instance.

"I shouldn't be thinking about him. What he did to me was a long time ago." _And then Hannah was assaulted._

"We are stronger than they are." Claire nods in agreement, but it doesn't totally negate her feelings. "Let's make them suffer." He repeats the words of encouragement Claire said to him when they were dealing with the Raymond Tusk situation. She nods in his hand. Claire wants nothing more than to have Preston feel just as powerless as he made their daughter feel.

"We need to come up with a plan." Claire tells him. He can tell by the mischievous glint in her eye, his wife is in the development stages of a scheme. Frank's hand meanders from her cheek to her hand, grabbing it tightly.

The next day is Hannah's birthday. Unfortunately, they can't have breakfast together as a family due to Frank's early morning meetings. Claire leaves before Hannah goes off to school, not bothering to wish her daughter a happy birthday. Her and Frank will see their daughter later, at her party.

By the time Hannah is home from school, a large box is waiting for her on her bed. Hannah rolls her eyes, knowing it was the dress she sent her mom a picture of yesterday. Sure enough, the sparkly, navy lace dress is carefully folded in the box with a note resting on top of it.

 _Hannah,_

 _Happy Birthday. We love you._

 _-Mom and Dad_

Hannah pulls out the dress and holds it to her frame, admiring the fabric. She quickly changes into it. Her and Lauren are having dinner at a restaurant before they are expected at the party.

"Francis are you ready?" Claire asks from their bedroom. Her husband is in the bathroom, putting on his cufflinks.

"Yes." Frank comes out of the bathroom just in time to zip up his wife's black, boatneck dress. "Stunning." Claire manages a lopsided smile and spins around to straighten her husband's bowtie.

"Is Hannah here yet?"

"No. She doesn't know we invited the Canadian prime minister. Claire, there's a chance that _he_ could come too." Claire sighs. She hopes Preston stays away so he won't ruin Hannah's night.

"Should we tell her?" Frank stops walking out of their bedroom, turning to face his wife directly.

"No. I don't want her to be worried for nothing." Claire is torn by her husband's decision. He's right. If Preston never shows up, then Hannah has nothing to worry about. If he does, and she isn't warned, Hannah could freak out. Nobody knows the magnitude of seeing your assaulter before you're ready like Claire. Even with a few days of prep time, she still cried in the bathroom at the sight of him.

"Okay." Claire loops her arm through his. If Claire hears in advance that Preston is coming, she will warn Hannah.

By the time Claire and Frank get downstairs, the party is well underway. Hannah is surrounded by Lauren and other friends from school. The teenager sees her parents and politely excuses herself to walk over to them.

"Happy birthday Han," Frank says to his daughter, brushing a kiss to her cheek. Claire repeats the sentiment.

"Thanks. So, what's the plan? How can I help?" Hannah asks, craning her neck around the party to spot a potential target.

"You can enjoy your party and not worry about what your mother and I are doing." Frank doesn't want his daughter to get involved this time. Politically, he isn't sure if he should either. Hannah frowns and looks to her mother to circumvent her father. Not surprisingly, she agrees with him.

"Fine. I'll go make nice with the girls who are only here to say they've been to a party at the White House." Hannah pouts and walks away from her parents.

"Our devious girl," Claire comments proudly and moves closer to her husband. Frank briefly wraps his arm around her, rubbing her back.

"I have no idea where she got that from."

The pair split up, chatting politely with partygoers. They are waiting for the Canadian prime minister to show up to put their plan into action. Frank needs the prime minister's support on a controversial bill he's trying to push through the Senate. They are hoping to use Preston's assault on Hannah to force cooperation.

A little while later, Frank and Claire are starting to question whether they misread the situation. The Canadian prime minister still hasn't made an appearance. And if he doesn't show, their scheme will be rendered useless.

"Francis, what if he doesn't come?" Claire asks quietly. They are huddled in a corner, away from everyone else.

"I'm not sure. Meechum!" Frank yells when he sees the Secret Service agent walk by. Meechum turns his head and walks towards the couple.

"Sir? Ma'am?" Meechum asks.

"Edward has the Canadian prime minister arrived yet?" Claire asks.

"No ma'am, I haven't heard anything."

All the sudden, Hannah joins the circle, looking panic-stricken.

"Hannah? What is it?" Claire asks, although she has a feeling as to why her daughter looks terrified.

"Mom, _he's_ here," Hannah whispers and motions with her head to another corner of the room. Frank, Claire and Meechum turn to see Preston along with the Canadian prime minister make their way over to the bar. "I thought he was going back to Montreal. He said he was going back to Montreal."

"We told him he wasn't allowed at the White House. What the hell happened?" Frank asks Meechum.

"I'll take care of this," Meechum says and starts walking towards Preston. Claire holds her arm out, stopping him. Frank clenches his fist, never taking his eyes off the boy who hurt his daughter.

"Edward, I want you to stay by Hannah. Hannah, it will be okay. I don't want you to leave Edward's sight." Claire directs her daughter. She forces Frank to hold hands with her to keep him from running over to where Preston is.

"What are you going to do?" Hannah asks.

"Your father and I are going to greet our guests," Claire says.

"Claire…" Frank starts to protest, stopping when she shakes her head.

"Francis do not make a scene." Frank glares at her, but she's right. If they don't want anyone to know about what happened to Hannah, they must deal with this as covertly and quickly as possible.

"Was this part of your scheme? Is this why you didn't want me to be involved?" Hannah asks. She wants to believe her parents wouldn't put her in this position, but she knows how far they will go to get their way.

"Of course not, Han. We would never do that to you. I promise your mother and I will handle this," Frank assures Hannah. It's his responsibility to protect their daughter and he will do everything in his power to do so.

"Stay by Edward, everything will be alright," Claire tugs on her husband's hand and they get lost in the crowd.

Meechum sees Hannah start to follow her parents and he gently pulls on her arm.

"No," Meechum tells her firmly. Hannah lifts her eyebrows in surprise.

"Are you ordering me not to do something Meechum?" She watches the Secret Service agent fumble through his response.

"Not exactly, but it's my job to protect you. I already failed once. I'm not going to let that bastard touch you again." Hannah smiles at the agents concern for her. No wonder her father likes Meechum the most.

"I promise I won't interfere with whatever they are doing. I was just going to get a drink at the bar." Meechum shakes his head, he doesn't believe Hannah for a second.

"No. I can tell by the look in your eye that you have something planned and I'm telling you right now, it's not going to happen. Stay by me and enjoy the party, just like your parents said."

"Fine. But if he comes anywhere near me, I'm not pretending like I'm not Frank and Claire Underwoods' daughter." Meechum follows Hannah as she walks in the opposite direction of her parents.

"Trust me, I know exactly what you are capable of."

"Mr. President, thank you for inviting me to your party," the Canadian prime minister says when Frank and Claire approach him. Preston meets Frank's eyes and moves to stand behind his father. Claire squeezes her husband's hand, reminding him to stay calm.

"Prime Minister Brady, we wanted to thank you for coming. This is my lovely wife, Claire." Claire uses her free hand to shake hands with the prime minister.

"You are more beautiful in person," Prime Minister Brady says. "And of course, you've met my son, Preston. He enjoyed his date with your daughter. In fact, he wanted to stay here in Washington, just to come to her party." Claire clears her throat to cover a wince as Frank clamps down on her hand.

"Is that so?" Frank asks, looking directly at Preston. The teenager smirks at Frank.

"Hannah is a beautiful girl. I couldn't wait to see her again," Preston says.

"I think our daughter is much too busy with her friends tonight. I'm sure you understand," Frank comments. "We should get back to our guests."

"Of course, Mr. President, we can talk later," Prime Minister Brady says. Frank lightly tugs on Claire's hand. Before they get too far away from Preston, Claire turns, stopping in front of the teenager.

"Preston, that mark on your cheek looks painful, you might want to put some ice on it." Claire points to her own face, indicating where she slapped the teenager a few days ago. Frank stifles a laugh as the couple walks away. He brushes a kiss to Claire's hair before they separate.

"Hannah? Hello?" Lauren asks her best friend. Hannah breaks her staring contest with the back of Preston's head to address Lauren.

"What?"

"Are you okay? You seem weird." Lauren knows Hannah's been keeping something from her for the past few days. When Lauren asked how her date went, Hannah merely said it wasn't going to work out. However, Lauren saw bruises on Hannah's wrist when they were at school earlier. She didn't ask her best friend about it because she knew she wouldn't get the truth.

"I'm fine. I just have to use the bathroom. I'll be right back." Hannah scoots back her chair, which prompts Meechum to begin his tail on her. She brushes past her mother, who silently asks if she's alright. Hannah gives a half-nod. She's as fine as she's going to be in a room full of people who don't know what happened. When she's alone, away from Preston, is when she can properly address her emotions. Right now, she has to keep pretending like seeing Preston doesn't want to make her throw up.

"Go ahead, I'll be right out here." Meechum tells Hannah at the bathroom door.

"Meechum, I appreciate you being so careful, but I'm just going to pee. I don't really need you to witness every blessed moment of it. Just…back off a little…please?" Hannah appreciates the agent is just doing his job, but she's starting to feel suffocated by him.

"I'll be down the hall if you need me." Meechum can still do his job while keeping a respectable distance from Hannah.

"Thank you." Hannah slips into the bathroom and immediately checks to see if anyone else is in here with her. She goes over to the sink and grabs a paper towel, dabbing her eyes before any tears leak onto her cheeks. "Get it together, Underwood." Hannah takes in a rattling breath and shakes her head. She is stronger than this.

All the sudden, the bathroom door opens. Hannah ignores it briefly, thinking its just another guest using the bathroom. She feels someone come up behind her, encroaching on her personal space.

"Do you…" Hannah doesn't finish her sentence, it gets swallowed up by her gasp.

"Hi Hannah," Preston says with a devilish smile.

 **A/N 2: That's all you get for now! Next chapter, the Underwoods gain the upper hand and Hannah learns something about her parents she won't like. Any and all ideas help! Thanks for reading and please leave a review on your way out.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hi again! Thank you for all the lovely reviews you left me, and I hope you read my latest fic,** _ **The Aftermath.**_ **If not, please give that a little read after you've read this one. I hope you enjoy the latest installment!**

 **Chapter Four.**

Every fiber of Hannah's being is telling her to shove Preston aside and run out of this bathroom, towards Meechum and safety. However, Preston is standing in front of her, blocking her whole body. His eyes are wild, his breathing is rapid. Hannah can tell how much he's enjoying trapping her like an animal. She doesn't have a choice but to stay and hope that Meechum notices her absence. Until then, she's on her own.

Hannah refuses to give an inkling into how scared she is because that's exactly what Preston is hoping for. The second she shows fear or weakness, he will attack.

"Do you mind?" Hannah asks, keeping her voice steady. If she acts unbothered, maybe Preston will give up his pursuit of her. Preston smirks and reaches for her wrist, the one he left heavily bruised. Hannah yanks her arm away. The last thing she wants is for him to touch her again. He's already left his mark on her once.

"I thought we should finish what we started the other day," Preston says, his breath hot in her ear. Hannah sneaks one arm behind her, blindly reaching for her phone. If he's going to hurt her again, Hannah wants to have proof.

"Why don't you bother a girl who actually likes you?" Hannah asks, ducking her face away from his as his lips try to graze her cheek.

"Oh, come on Hannah, I thought we were having a good time. Until you pretended you didn't like it, I mean." Hannah scowls at the notion.

"The only person having fun is you, so have fun playing with yourself," Hannah mutters and starts to walk past Preston. He grabs her arm and pushes her up against the wall. Hannah slams into the tile, wincing at the sharp pain in her back.

"Listen you little slut, I'm done asking nicely. You are going to give me what I want or I'm going to take it from you. Understood?" Preston asks. He lifts the arm that isn't holding Hannah against the wall to her throat.

Outside, Lauren is getting antsy. It's been over fifteen minutes since Hannah told her she was going to the bathroom. She hasn't seen her best friend or the Secret Service agent who's always following her return to the party. From across the room, Lauren spots Hannah's parents chatting with a couple. Even though Frank and Claire Underwood terrify Lauren, she feels they should be aware that their daughter is unaccounted for.

Lauren nervously approaches the First Couple, waiting until they wrap up their conversation, so she can speak.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Underwood?" Lauren asks, tapping Claire gently on the shoulder. Claire does a half turn to look over her shoulder.

"What is it Lauren?"

"I can't find Hannah. She said she was going to the bathroom, but that was awhile ago." Lauren informs Claire. The barely-there smile fizzles from Claire's lips.

"Have you seen the agent who's been assigned to her? Meechum?" Claire scans the crowded ballroom. Just like Lauren, she can't find Hannah or Meechum anymore. Her eyes widen when Claire realizes she can't locate Preston either. "Francis!"

Frank turns at the sound of his wife's voice. He excuses himself from his conversation and approaches his wife. He is wondering why she is talking to his daughter's best friend without her.

"What's going on?" Frank asks. He doesn't like how worried his wife looks, even if she's trying to conceal it.

"I'll go look for her," Lauren tells Claire and leaves the Underwoods' to talk.

"We can't find Hannah or Edward," Claire informs her husband.

Hannah's opportunity to come out of this unscathed is dwindling. Preston has her lips on her collarbone, his teeth are nipping at her skin as she squirms underneath him. _Where are you, Meechum?_ Hannah thinks to herself.

"Get off of me!" Hannah exclaims and uses all her strength to push Preston. He recoils, surprised by the force exerted from Hannah. He steps towards her but stops when Hannah starts hiking her dress up.

"I knew you wanted it," Preston says with glee. Hannah shakes her head and smirks.

"You have about three seconds to leave before I start screaming. Secret Service is looking for me and it's only a matter of time before my parents are informed. Do you really want my mom to bitch-slap you again?"

Preston lunges at her and Hannah lets out a high-pitched scream.

From outside, Meechum hears Hannah scream and bursts into the bathroom. He sees something he's already seen before: Preston overpowering Hannah with his hand over her mouth. Her phone falls out of her hand and hits the floor.

"Leave her alone!" Meechum yells and grabs Preston from behind, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist. Hannah backs away until she collides with the bathroom sink. It shouldn't've taken this long for Meechum to intervene.

"Let go of me," Preston insists, but Meechum isn't listening. The Secret Service agent passes him off to other agents who've gathered outside of the bathroom.

"Where the hell have you been, Meechum?" Hannah asks. She reaches down and picks up her phone. Thankfully, her phone wasn't damaged from hitting the floor.

"I'm sorry. You said you needed privacy," Meechum tells her. Frank is going to kill him. He let Hannah get hurt twice under his watch.

Hannah spins around to survey the damage. She can already see a bruise forming on her neck from where Preston had his arm around her.

"You better come up with a better excuse for my father," Hannah tells him and reaches for a paper towel to fix her makeup. Truthfully, she sent Meechum away on purpose, hoping Preston would seize the opportunity to come after her. Although, the Secret Service agent can't know that, it would ruin everything. "Get him out of here."

"Let's go," Meechum tells the other agents who still have a hold on Preston.

"Have you seen her yet?" Claire asks Frank. They split up to comb the room, searching for their daughter. Frank shakes his head and Claire lets out a rattling breath. He gently puts his hand on her arm, drawing her closer to his frame.

"We will find her, I promise."

Just then, Hannah approaches the couple, holding her phone. Frank is the first one to see their daughter and breathes a sigh of relief. Claire spins around to face Hannah, immediately spotting a bruise on her neck that wasn't there before.

"Where have you been?" Frank asks. He isn't sure whether to be angry or relieved. Hannah pulling a disappearing act in the middle of her party doesn't exactly bode well for them.

"I was in the bathroom. Did you figure out how to win at your little scheme?" Hannah asks. She's surprised how confident she feels after what just occurred between her and Preston.

"No. We were too busy looking for you." Claire says. She sees a smirk adorning Hannah's lips and wonders what their daughter is up to. Her husband always told her that they look alike when they are plotting something. "What do you have?"

Hannah turns on her phone and opens the recording she managed to get in the bathroom while Preston was with her.

" _Listen you little slut, I'm done asking nicely. You are going to give me what I want or I'm going to take it from you. Understood?"_

" _Get off of me!"_

Frank and Claire listen to the recording of Preston's second attempt at assaulting their daughter with shock and rage. Hannah turns her phone off after noticing how upset her parents look. She thought they would be happy she did this for them.

"Where was Meechum during all of this?" Frank demands. He clenches his fists at the thought of Preston's hands on his daughter again.

"I sent him away," Hannah mumbles. Frank redirects his anger from Meechum to his daughter. Claire puts her hand on his arm to remind him where they are right now. People are listening to their conversation, they need to be careful.

"You _what_?"

"Keep your voice down, Francis." Claire reminds him. She grabs her husband's hand and leads him over to a secluded corner. Hannah follows, wanting to explain why she did what she did.

"I wanted to give you leverage, Daddy, so you could use it against the Canadian prime minister. That is why you invited him to my party, right?" Hannah is still irritated at her parents for inviting Prime Minister Brady and Preston to her party without telling her and then prohibited her from joining in on their scheme.

"You baited him…didn't you?" Claire asks, finally catching onto what her daughter was trying to do. Frank looks at Hannah and slowly shakes his head. Hannah instinctively backs up. She knows her father is about to lose his temper. "Francis, don't."

"What were you thinking?" His voice sounds constrained because he is trying not to yell. Claire steps in front of him, placing her hands on his chest to calm him down. He doesn't say anything else and walks away, leaving Hannah and Claire by themselves.

"You should go. I'm sure Daddy is going to want to talk to you." Claire steps towards her daughter, combing her fingers through her dark hair. She sees more of herself in Hannah now than she ever did before.

"I would avoid him for the rest of the night. And send me that recording." Claire leaves her daughter to stew while she goes to look for her husband. Hannah grins when Claire winks at her. She knew her mother would be more on her side than her father.

Later that night, after all the guests have left, Frank and Claire share a cigarette in the Oval. They haven't spoken much since their discussion with Hannah earlier.

"What are you thinking, Francis?" Claire asks as he hands her the cigarette. She inhales while her husband gathers his thoughts.

"What Hannah did tonight was reckless."

"I don't disagree, but she also did what we couldn't."

"She could've been really hurt, Claire. What if Meechum didn't get there in time?" Frank's been running through possible scenarios of how bad things could've gotten for Hannah all night. Preston could've killed Hannah in that bathroom and they wouldn't've known.

Claire realizes the only reason Frank is so furious with Hannah is because of how much he loves her. He is extremely overprotective of his wife and their daughter. While he's right, it doesn't negate the fact that Hannah helped them tremendously by recording her encounter with Preston.

Frank takes the cigarette back from Claire, inhaling it deeply. Claire pauses a minute to choose her words carefully. Clearly, they are on opposite sides of this, but she doesn't want to argue with her husband. Not when he's partially right.

"You have a right to be angry with her, Francis, but Hannah is us. She did what we would've done in her situation and I don't think it's fair to hold that against her." Hannah is the best and worst of them. Frank and Claire were foolish in thinking their daughter wouldn't join in on their scheme.

Frank nods slowly and extinguishes the cigarette in a cup of water. His wife, sadly, does have a point. He just wishes their daughter wouldn't've sacrificed herself in trying to help them.

"We need to teach her better."

"Yes, we do."

Trying to keep Hannah away from their schemes at this age is pointless. The teenager is too much like them not to revel in it. However, if someone ever found out about what Hannah did, it would bring unwanted attention to their daughter's life. And that's the part they need their daughter to understand.

"Come to bed when you're done," Claire tells him and glides her hand over his. Her husband needs some time to think by himself. She's hoping she won't have to coax him into making amends with Hannah.

Claire knocks on Hannah's door and enters when she receives permission from the teenager. She softly closes the door behind her. Claire wants the conversation she's about to have with their daughter to remain between them for the time being. She will share with her husband eventually.

"Does Daddy still want to kill me?" Hannah asks as Claire sits down on her bed. The teenager changed into her pajamas a while ago, but her mother is still in her party dress.

"He's calmed down a little. I think you should wait until tomorrow to speak to him." Hannah nods and wonders why her mother is still in her room.

"Am I grounded or something?" Hannah asks. Her parents usually never were the punishing type. They always believed in helping Hannah through her mistakes instead of condemning her for them.

"No, there's no need to do that. Hannah, what you did tonight was brave, but it was also stupid." Hannah nods, she sees how reckless she was being before.

"I get why Daddy is so angry. I was just trying to help though."

"I know, which is what I told him. You did exactly what I would've done in your situation. You just have to be more careful. And we will help you with that."

"Okay."

"Okay." Claire brushes a kiss to her daughter's cheek and stands up.

"Mom?"

"What?"

"Did you end up using the recording?" Hannah never heard how her parents attempted scheme worked out.

"No, but we will if the prime minister doesn't play along. Goodnight." Claire closes her daughter's bedroom door and goes into her own. Frank hasn't made his way into their room yet, which is to be expected. He will probably sneak in later after she's asleep.

The next day, Frank shuts himself in the Oval before Hannah leaves for school. Hannah comes out for family breakfast to see her mother reading the newspaper by herself.

"He's avoiding me, isn't he?" Hannah asks while she sits down next to her mother at the dining table.

"Yes. He left a plate of apples for you," Claire says and pushes the apples towards Hannah. Hannah rolls her eyes and takes a bite of an apple slice.

"I'll talk to him after school." Hannah stands up as she steals half the apples on the plate, leaving the rest for Claire.

Once Hannah gets back to the White House after school, she tentatively approaches the Oval Office door. She hasn't been this nervous to enter her father's office since after the Pierce incident a few months ago. Her mother had to grab her hand and force her into the room because she couldn't do it on her own. Hannah knows from her father's assistant that he doesn't have any meetings for the next half hour. If she's going to talk to him, it must be now.

"Come," Frank says after he hears the knock on the door. Hannah pokes her head in, wanting to see the reaction on her dad's face when he sees who it is. "Hi."

"Hi. Can I come in?" Hannah asks.

"Of course." Frank isn't as angry at Hannah as he was last night. After speaking with his wife, he's more understanding of what his daughter was attempting to do, however misguided it was.

Hannah crosses the room and sits down in a chair across from his desk. She isn't sure how to begin this conversation. An apology won't do them any good. The teenager quickly learned as a child that her parents don't find any meaning in them.

"I don't want you to be angry with me, Daddy. I know what I did now was dangerous." Frank leans back in his chair. He's proud of his daughter for not coming into his office, begging for forgiveness. She's above that and so is he.

"Yes, it was, but we are done with that now." If there's anything he's taken from Claire over twenty-something years of marriage is to move on. Dwelling on someone's mistakes is not productive. He's confident his daughter will never do something like this again.

"Okay."

"I love you, Hannah."

"I love you too, Daddy." Hannah stands up from her chair and starts walking towards the door. "Daddy, you aren't going to fire Meechum over this are you?"

"No, but he is off your detail for the time being. I put him back with your mother." Hannah nods. She's sad to see Meechum go but won't question her father's decision. "And Hannah?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"That recording you sent to your mother will be valuable." Hannah's mouth drops open slightly at her father's comment. She didn't know he knew Claire had it in her possession. Although, she should know by now her parents tell each other everything.

"Good. Use it when you feel the time is right. See you at dinner." Hannah excuses herself from the Oval and goes back to the residences to do her homework.

Later that night, Hannah and Claire are seated at the table, waiting for Frank to join them.

"Have you and your father talked?" Claire asks while pours herself a glass of wine.

"We have. We've come to an understanding."

"Good."

Frank comes into the room, shedding his jacket and briefcase in the living room. Claire hands him a glass of wine as he stamps a kiss on her cheek.

"Did you tell her yet?" Frank asks.

"No, we agreed to do this together." Claire tells him. Hannah glances from her mother to her father, wondering what the news could be. Her eyes divert to Claire's glass of wine, wondering if it's just a ruse.

"Are you…?" Hannah asks Claire, pausing when she sees her mother shake her head.

"I'm not pregnant." Claire says, her voice sounding strained. Hannah nods and keeps her response to herself. She isn't sure if having more children are even on the table with her parents anymore.

"Your mother is going to be the next ambassador of the United States," Frank tells their daughter. "Once she gets confirmed, of course."

"That's great. Being the First Lady seems awfully boring. It's cool that you can do something else too." Hannah has overheard conversations from her parents. Her mother seems unsatisfied in her current role and is yearning for more. Not that Hannah is surprised. She inherited her ambition from her parents.

"I will be traveling to New York a lot. You will be on your own until your father comes home," Claire informs their daughter.

"That's fine. Whatever you have to do."

Hannah is old enough to take care of herself. Besides, she lives in the White House where they have a staff available around-the-clock.

A week later, Frank and Claire are relaxing together in the Oval Office. They haven't seen much of each other recently because Claire's been busy preparing for her upcoming Senate confirmation hearing.

Claire is perched on top of her husband's desk, holding the cigarette they are about to light in her hand.

"Do you feel prepared for your hearing?" Frank asks. He brushes some papers aside and climbs onto his desk, so he is seated next to his wife.

"Yes. I'm just curious as to what questions they are going to ask me. I don't want this to unravel because of a single question." Frank sets his hand on her thigh.

"I have complete confidence in you."

"Thank you." Their lips meet for a kiss, separating with a smack after a moment. Just then, they are interrupted by Seth and Remy, Frank's new chief-of-staff while Doug is recovering.

"Sir, there's something you need to see." Remy tells Frank and holds up his phone.

"What is it?" Frank asks. Claire hops off his desk and so does Frank, choosing to sit in his chair instead.

Before Remy can brief the couple, Hannah bursts into the office. The teenager is visibly upset and clenching her phone in her hand.

"Hannah, what's wrong?" Claire asks, hoping it doesn't have to deal with Preston. They fought past that at Hannah's birthday party and were able to sway the prime minister without using having to use the recording.

"What the fuck is this?" Hannah asks and throws her phone down on the desk. Frank scoops it up and frowns when he reads a headline that claims Claire cheated on him.

 **A/N 2: Okay, there's a lot to unpack in this chapter. Before you yell at me for recycling an idea, ever since I wrote about Claire's affair in** _ **The Fallout**_ **, I thought it would be interesting to explore with Hannah since she's older. I can't wait for the next chapter! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review on your way out. I love to hear your thoughts!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi, welcome back! I know I haven't written anything in a while, but when inspiration strikes, I go with it. This story doesn't stick to the plot of** _ **House of Cards**_ **as much as my other stories do, simply because I don't want you guys reading two versions of the same story. Occasionally, I will borrow ideas from the show, but only when I feel there's a point to it. Anyway, please enjoy the latest chapter of** _ **State of Grace**_

 **Chapter Five.**

"What is it?" Claire asks. Frank tilts Hannah's phone towards her so his wife to read the article. Claire's eyebrows shoot up higher with every passing word. This is bad for them; politically and personally. It couldn't have come at a worse time too. Claire's ambassadorship is on the line. Senators aren't going to vote her through no matter how well prepared she is if they believe she cheated on Frank.

"We need a minute," Frank tells Seth and Remy, who are idling by the door.

"Sir, with all due respect, we don't have…." Seth trails off when Remy pulls on his suit sleeve. The glare they receive from Frank alone is enough to silence both men.

"We will be right outside. Take your time," Remy says to smooth things over. He and Seth leave, closing the door behind them.

Claire clicks into the article, shaking her head at what it reads. There is some substance to it, but most of it wildly exaggerates the circumstances surrounding her and Adam's correspondences. Frank points Hannah over to the couch in the Oval. He reaches for Claire's hand, wanting her to be a part of this conversation as well.

There are several different ways this conversation can go. It just depends on what Frank and Claire want to disclose to their daughter. They always knew something from their past would eventually bubble to the surface.

"So, is it true?" Hannah asks. She's always known her parents' marriage is unconventional, it's what makes it function so well. A huge part of her knows the article is a fabrication. She just needs her parents to confirm it to give her peace of mind.

Claire and Frank glance at each other. They need to decide right here and now what they want to tell their daughter about their marriage. Both have had affairs on and off since before Hannah was born. The teenager just hasn't known about it until now. Hannah is giving them an easy-out, to continue lying to their daughter like they will to the American people.

"Mom? Dad?" Hannah asks again. Frank reaches over to set his hand on Claire's thigh. This is her decision to make. He will support her no matter what she chooses to do.

"Yes, it's true." Claire tells her daughter. Hannah's jaw drops open as her eyes brim with tears.

"You cheated on Daddy?" Hannah asks in disbelief.

"It's not that simple, Hannah." Claire says. It's way more complicated than their daughter is distilling it down to. Hannah scoffs. Anger courses through the teenager at her mother's revelation.

"It's pretty easy not to be a slut, Mom. All you have to do is close your legs," Hannah says with a coolness to her tone. Out of the corner of her eye, Claire sees her husband's hand start to come across his body. She isn't sure if Frank intends on hitting their daughter for her comment, but she won't let him.

"Francis, no." Claire holds onto her husband's hand tightly.

"You will _not_ say something like that to your mother ever again. Do you understand me, Hannah Claire?" Frank asks. His voice is dangerously low. It takes everything in him not to yell at their daughter. His staff are right outside the door, waiting for an argument like this to occur. They can't afford any more bad press at the moment.

"So, are you two divorcing now?" Hannah asks, bypassing her father's chastising completely. She's treading on thin ice with her parents after her remark about Claire. It wouldn't bode well for her to push her father further.

Frank and Claire simultaneously shake their heads. Their marriage is strong, despite what their daughter may think.

"Of course not, Hannah. I love your father very much," Claire says. Frank skims his thumb over his wife's hand. She's taking the brunt of Hannah's anger in stride.

"I wasn't asking you, Mom," Hannah snaps at her mother. Frank shoots his daughter another warning glance.

"Han, I love your mother very much. I'm not leaving her." Hannah furrows her eyebrows. She thought her father would be furious with her mother after finding out the truth about her affair. Instead, her father is doing the exact opposite and defending Claire.

"Why not? She cheated on you, Daddy." Hannah isn't advocating for her parents to split up, she's just confused. She's seen affairs destroy families, including Lauren's.

Hannah will not let this go. It's better to have this conversation now and prepare Hannah for questions like this, then leave her blindsided. They are going to need their daughter doing press with them for better optics.

"Like your mother said, it's not that simple. We love each other more than anyone, but in the past, we've slept with other people. It's something we've have always been open with each other about. I've known about this for a long time, Hannah." Frank tells Hannah, referring to the damaging article.

Hannah is shell-shocked by her father's admission. In a way, she's happy this didn't shatter her parents' marriage, but she's mildly disgusted by them.

"So, you two just have affairs with other people and you're okay with it? That's really messed up." Hannah storms out of the Oval, slamming the door behind her.

"Oh my god, she hates me," Claire whispers to Frank. He scoots closer to her on the couch, gliding his hand down the curvature of her spine. For his wife, this goes deeper than Hannah being mad at her. Claire sees it as her failure as a mother, likening it to her own strained relationship with her mother.

"Sweetheart, she's just upset." Frank reassures her. He knows how insecure Claire feels about parenting, how she views every parental misstep as proof she's turning into Elizabeth Hale. "Listen to me," Frank gently nudges Claire away from him so he's looking at her. His fingers splay out on her cheeks, commandeering her full attention. "I promise you, we will fix this." Claire nods into his hand.

"Who do you think is behind this?" Claire asks, wanting to get off the subject of their daughter for the time being. Frank drops his hands from her cheeks.

"I don't know. It's not a coincidence that this is suddenly coming out so close to your nomination." The Underwood's have made many enemies throughout Frank's political career, the leak could've come from anywhere. "Claire, this is a chance that he leaked this."

"No, Francis, he doesn't want that kind of attention. I know things didn't end well between us, but he wouldn't want to bring himself into the spotlight."

Frank doesn't dismiss the thought away as quickly as his wife does. For now, everyone is a suspect until proven otherwise.

"You should bring Seth and Remy back in. We are going to need their help if I have any chance of being confirmed," Claire mumbles quietly. Frank nods at his wife's request. She needs a distraction and he will provide her with one.

For the rest of the afternoon, Claire and Frank strategize with Remy and Seth on how best to navigate through this crisis. The two men are pushing for a family press conference right away, but Claire is reluctant. Hannah inherited her father's explosive temper. The teenager could easily say the wrong thing if someone provoked her. They can revisit the idea when Hannah is more open to it.

"Flat out denial," Frank tells Seth and Remy. "I don't want anything jeopardizing her nomination or my presidency. Is that understood?"

"Completely. Sir, there's just one more thing to go over: is _he_ a liability?" Remy directs the question more to Claire than Frank.

"No." Claire says with absolute certainty. The photographer mentioned in the article is someone Claire's had multiple rendezvous with over the years. Although they haven't spoken recently, she's confident he wouldn't betray her.

"For now, you go about your daily lives. Don't answer any questions and most importantly, do not, under any circumstances, reach out to Mr. Galloway until I say so. We don't want it to appear like we are colluding with one another," Seth instructs the couple.

"Shouldn't he at least know what to say?" Claire asks.

"Not right now. The best course of action is to leave him alone. If it comes to it, we can coordinate strategies. We would rather have people think this is some bullshit story than give the slightest inkling that this is true," Seth explains.

"Fine. Let me know if I need to reach out to him," Claire says. Frank dismisses Remy and Seth again to start patching their image back together.

Later that night, Frank arrives at the residences. He hasn't seen his wife since she left his office a few hours ago shortly after Seth and Remy. His guess is she's out for a run, her go-to way to de-stress after a day like today. Hannah is parked at the dining room table, switching between texting and doing her homework.

"Where's your mother?" Frank asks as he crosses the room to sit down next to Hannah. Hannah slides her textbook over so her father can have room to sit.

"I don't know, probably out sleeping with somebody else."

"Hannah," Frank scolds.

"Why aren't you angry at her? Her sloppiness could cost the two of you everything you've worked for."

"The people who did this are using her to come after me. You should be angry at me, not at her." Hannah lifts her head up to lock eyes with her father.

"If the two of you claim to love each other so much, why do you sleep with other people?" The teenager asks. Frank is taken aback by Hannah's question. He doesn't have a response his daughter will like.

"Mostly for information. If sleeping with someone else can benefit us, then we take advantage of that." Hannah nods in understanding.

"The reporter." Frank lifts his eyebrows, impressed by his daughter's analysis.

"How did you know about that?" Hannah's cheek flame as she drops her eyes back down to her homework.

"I overheard you and Mom talking about someone who was a reporter for some newspaper. We met her one time, at Mom's gala. I thought she was little too friendly with you and a little too scared of Mom to be just a reporter." Frank laughs at Hannah's assessment of the situation. "Daddy?"

"What?"

"Will this destroy us?" Hannah doesn't want to see everything her parents work for disappear. Her parents can't be normal people. They weren't built for it.

"No. This is only a flesh wound, Hannah, not fatal."

"How can you be so sure?" Frank reaches across to pinch Hannah's cheek.

"Because darlin', your mother and I play this game better than anyone else." Frank knocks on the table twice and stands up. "Hannah, talk to your mother. You said some pretty awful things to her earlier."

"You want me to apologize?" Hannah asks with shock. They don't do that in their family. Her mother wouldn't accept it.

"I want you to make things right, however you choose to do so." It's not fair to his wife that their daughter is only angry at her for something they both have done. And Frank can't figure out why that is.

Frank and Claire are smoking a cigarette in his office the next afternoon to relax together.

"Has Hannah talked to you at all?" Frank asks his wife. Claire inhales the cigarette before passing it to her husband.

"No," Frank glances over at her, the cigarette lazing in his hands. His hand skims over hers, giving it a squeeze before letting go.

"She will. Did you still want to do the press conference tomorrow?"

Forcing Hannah to talk to her or participate in the scheduled press conference will only have a negative effect on their already strained relationship. Claire would rather have their daughter come around on her own time.

"Yes. It's picking up steam. We need to forge ahead with Seth's idea." Frank nods and hands the cigarette back to her.

Remy barges in with an iPad, looking frantic. Frank douses the cigarette in the cup of water in between them.

"What's going on?" Frank asks Remy.

"We have a leak." Remy hands Frank the iPad. Claire presses play and a CNN news alert pops onto the screen.

" _We have breaking news to report," Anderson Cooper says. "A source close to the Underwood administration confirms First Lady Claire Underwood did indeed have an affair with photographer Adam Galloway. The Underwoods' are supposed to give a televised statement tomorrow. With this new, damaging information, it's going to be hard for the First Family to talk their way out of this one."_

The screen turns black and Frank hands it back to Remy with a sigh. Claire fiddles with her wedding ring, staying silent until Frank's chief of staff leaves.

"Goddamn it, Hannah," Frank says. Claire furrows her eyebrows. For her husband to automatically assume their daughter is the one behind the leak, is surprising. He stands up, and Claire immediately steps in front of him, resting her hands on his chest.

"Francis, if you accuse her and you are wrong, she won't forgive us," Claire tells him. Frank clenches his fist, taking a second to consider his wife's warning. She's right. They have no concrete evidence that their daughter blabbed to the press.

Hannah knocks on the Oval Office door, popping her head inside.

"There's a picture," Hannah tells her parents, handing them her phone. Frank swears as Claire takes the phone from her daughter.

"This photo is damaging, Francis." Claire shows her husband the picture. It's one of her that Adam took, when she slept over at his apartment one night. "He's the only one who has this picture."

Whoever is behind this somehow acquired this picture from Adam Galloway. It might have been him who released it.

"Sir, Adam is giving his statement," Seth informs the three of them. Frank nods and Seth closes the door behind him. Frank opens his laptop, turning on CNN. Adam Galloway is speaking, denying the affair.

"He's not bad looking," Hannah comments while she's watching Adam give his statement. Frank crosses his arms over his chest. Claire catches her daughter's eye, smiling slightly at how irritated her husband has become after their daughter's comment about Adam. "Oh, and he's British. I like his accent."

"We need to move up the press conference to early tomorrow morning. Let it hit the morning news cycle. If we wait too long, it could seem like we are stalling." Frank tells Claire.

"I agree. Hannah, you don't have to attend if you don't want to," Claire says to Hannah. Frank glances at his daughter, hoping she will grab the olive branch his wife extended to her.

"No, it's fine. I'll be there," Hannah says. She wants to support her parents, even if she's still angry at her mother. "Lauren's waiting, I have to go." Hannah leaves her parents in the Oval Office to hang out with her best friend.

"Why did you automatically assume Hannah was the leak earlier?" Claire asks Frank as she's climbing into their bed that night. He holds out his arm so she can cuddle up next to him. Frank skates his fingertips over her arm.

"She's our daughter. We know what she's capable of." Frank figured since Hannah was still mad at Claire, she would figure out a way to leak the affair to the news without anyone finding out it was her. Her husband is right. Hannah proved herself a worthy adversary when she recorded Preston attempting to sexually assault her at her birthday party. "There's one thing I still don't understand."

"What's that Francis?" Claire asks. She lifts her head up from his shoulder to look at him.

"Why Hannah is so angry at you, even after I admitted we both sleep with other people." Claire was wondering about that as well.

"She sees me as a liability to what we've built," Claire muses, trying to put herself inside her daughter's mind. It what she would think if she was in Hannah's position.

"You are _not_ a liability." Frank shoots down the notion.

"That's not up to us to decide," Claire reminds him. The American people and the Senate are the ones who determine the Underwood's political future. Frank dusts a kiss to the side of her head as he tightens his grip on her.

"Are you ready, Francis?" Claire asks the next morning. They are hovering outside of the press room, waiting to give their televised statement. She approaches him, straightening out his crooked tie. He glances over his shoulder, seeing Hannah sneak into the room. Claire turns her head, grinning at their daughter. She didn't have to come, but it means a lot to her that she did. Frank waves their daughter over.

"You look nice," Frank comments as he looks at Hannah's outfit. The teenager is wearing a conservative maroon dress with black flats.

"Thanks, I wasn't sure if you guys wanted me to go out there or not," Hannah mumbles. Frank looks from his wife to his daughter, sensing the awkwardness between them. This is the longest they've gone without speaking more than a few words to each other.

"You don't have to. I have to go talk to Seth and Doug to finalize the talking points," Frank says and leaves Hannah and Claire.

"I said some pretty shitty things to you, Mom." Hannah mutters. Claire nods. She's proud of her daughter for not groveling.

"You did. I understand why you said them, though. We caught you off guard." Hannah laughs at her mother's interpretation of the other day's events.

"To say the least."

"Hannah, we will survive this. You don't have to worry. We aren't going anywhere."

"I know. Daddy said that you two play this game better than anyone and I believe him." Frank rejoins Claire and Hannah, happy to see the two are speaking to each other.

"We should go. They are waiting for us," Frank tells Claire. His hand navigates down to hers, gently pulling on it. Claire reaches to gently squeeze her daughter's wrist before following her husband to the threshold of the press room.

Hannah watches her parents give their statement, marveling at how well they sell their denial to the public. They walk out together hand-in-hand, exchanging loving looks with one another while the other one speaks.

"I find it very painful that anyone would suggest I am capable of being unfaithful to my husband, whom I love dearly," Claire says into the camera. Hannah rolls her eyes at her mother's phrasing. It might convince the American people, but it's not believable to her.

"What?" Seth asks Hannah when he sees the teenager balk at her parents' statement.

" _I find it very painful that anyone would suggest I am capable of being unfaithful to my husband, whom I love dearly_ ," Hannah mocks her mother, mirroring Claire's tone of voice. "Who wrote that crap?" Seth glares at her.

"I did. And keep your voice down. The reporters can hear us in here."

Hannah laughs when her father mentions the lie about the original photograph of Claire that started the media frenzy. The Underwoods' version is that they hired Adam to take the photograph because Frank finds Claire "so beautiful when she sleeps."

"Wow, this is so adorable. I might cry," Hannah mocks, pretending to wipe a tear from her eye. Seth shakes his head at her. "Nobody is going to believe this candy-coated version of my parents."

"For their sake, they better." Hannah casts a doubtful look in Seth's direction. "You should have seen the hits your parents got after your mother went public with their miscarriage. People fell in love with them."

"That was real, this is not."

"Keep your voice _down_ ," Seth repeats to Hannah.

Frank and Claire wrap up their statement and head back into the adjoining room, ignoring the reporters shouting questions at them. One of the aides closes the connecting door, shielding the Underwoods' from the press.

"That should hold them over for the time being," Frank comments to Claire. Claire agrees, leaning into his frame.

"Are you ready to go?" Claire asks Hannah. Their daughter has to get to school and they need to keep monitoring the situation from afar. Hannah nods and starts move her way through the crowd gathered in the room. Claire follows their daughter, with Frank behind her, keeping his hand on her shoulder blade.

"You guys sold it well," Hannah comments to her parents while they are walking down the hallway that connects to the Oval.

"Good. I hope that will be the end of it," Frank says to Claire and Hannah.

"I have a meeting to get to, I'll see you later," Claire says when they reach the door to the Oval. She stamps a kiss to Frank's cheek and then Hannah's. "Hannah, Meechum is waiting to take you to school."

Hannah would rather not go, knowing her fellow classmates will ridicule her for the cheating scandal. It would look suspicious if she weren't there, though.

"Fine." Hannah follows her mother down a different hallway after waving goodbye to her father.

A few hours later, Seth is sitting in Claire's office, briefing her on the media's reaction to the press conference so far.

"How is it going?" Claire asks.

"Good, so far, we might have some blowback on more conservative platforms. Overall, we should be fine." Seth's phone dings and he slides it out of his suit pocket. "Oh shit, Hannah."

Claire lifts her head up at her daughter's name sliding out of Seth's mouth.

"What is it?" Seth shows her the latest article written, posted mere seconds ago. _Underwood daughter calls press conference a "sham," confirms the First Lady cheated on the president._

Claire gives Seth back his phone and picks up her own, dialing her husband.

"Hello, my dear I was just…" Frank says, but Claire cuts him off.

"Francis, we have a problem. I'm coming to your office right now."

 **A/N 2: Well, that's all for now! Where do you want this story to go? Please leave me a review with your thoughts and thank you for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: As always, thank you guys for reading and leaving your lovely comments. They are a pleasure to read. Not much to say here, but there is going to be some overlap with** _ **The Fallout**_ **as I mentioned in the last chapter. I'll try to minimize it, so you aren't reading the same story twice. Anyway, please enjoy the latest installment!**

 **Chapter Six**

"What's wrong?" Frank asks Claire into the phone. When they separated after the press conference, they were optimistic about the public's reaction. Now, only hours later, his wife seems panicked. If Frank had to guess, Adam must've said something to directly contradict their statement.

"I'll tell you when I get there." Claire hangs up the phone and motions for Seth to join her. Frank is going to be furious when he finds out about the article. Seth needs to be there to come up with a communication strategy while Claire tries to reason with her husband.

Claire and Seth burst into the Oval moments later. Frank is already waiting with Doug, who is showing him something on his phone. If Claire had to guess, it would be the article in question.

"What the hell is this?" Frank asks Claire. His teeth are clenched as he rips his glasses off his nose. Claire crosses the room, sitting on the corner of his desk. Seth and Doug maneuver around the First Couple, choosing to stand on the opposite side.

"Francis, it's obviously not true. We need to think of what we are going to say." Claire says to her husband. Both hate when the press publishes stories about their daughter, especially ones that have no basis in fact. Nevertheless, they need to heavily control the dissemination of information at a time like this.

Seth's eyes slide away from Frank's, focusing on the back of a picture frame instead. This doesn't go unnoticed by Frank, who tilts his head in confusion.

"Is the press lying about what my daughter said, Seth?" Frank asks his communications director. Claire's eyebrows knit together as she looks from her husband to Seth.

"Well…she didn't say those exact words, but the article isn't a total fabrication."

"What exactly did Hannah say?" Claire asks for the two of them. Frank is shaking his head. Hannah's behavior throughout the entirety of this scandal has been less-than-stellar. He thought they were heading in the right direction when Hannah showed up at the press conference earlier, but obviously he was wrong. For their own daughter to betray them like this is horrifying.

Seth shuffles on his feet. He's being put in a terrible position, but his loyalty is to Frank. He warned Hannah twice not to speak out against her parents, and she ignored him.

"She mocked the two of you, loudly. I'm not surprised someone picked this up." Seth mumbles.

"Jesus," Frank spits out and turns around. Claire glances at her husband, knowing he's close to losing his temper.

"We need some time. Tell Meechum to bring Hannah here immediately after school. Start drafting a statement condemning the press for manufacturing a story about Hannah. And…locate Adam Galloway." Her last request draws Frank's attention.

"Claire," Frank begins.

"Francis, we need him now. We can't face this on our own anymore." She wanted to avoid bringing in Adam. Now, with what Hannah said being leaked to the press, it's no longer a viable option. They need Adam's support if they are to survive this crisis.

Seth and Doug flee the Oval to do as Claire says. They don't want to be in the middle of the Underwood family drama. When Claire hears the door to the office shut, she reclaims her spot on her husband's desk. Frank collapses in his chair, leaning his head heavily on his fist. She rubs his shoulder briefly before pulling away.

"She should've known better," Claire comments about Hannah. Their daughter is cognizant of the fact that everything she says and does becomes fodder for the press. Frank rests his hand on his wife's thigh.

"Claire, this was intentional. Hannah knew what she was doing." Claire doesn't want to believe that, but her husband has a point. Hannah has proven time and time again she can be as cunning as her parents.

"What can I do?" Claire asks. Frank leans back exasperatedly in his chair.

"Prevent me for killing our daughter." Claire slips her hand into his, gently squeezing their conjoined hands.

An hour later, Hannah drops by her father's office with Meechum in tow. Luckily for the teenager, Frank has calmed down a little bit and is more open to hearing reasoning.

"What's going on?" Hannah asks. Her parents are seated on the couch, looking upset. Frank motions for their daughter to sit across from them on the other couch.

"What is this?" Frank asks, handing her Claire's phone. Hannah reads the article, her mouth opening wider the more she reads.

"I never said any of this, Daddy." Hannah insists, handing the phone back to her father. Claire is taken aback by how easy her daughter can lie.

"Hannah," Claire says in a disbelieving tone. Their daughter needs to take some culpability for her words.

"Mom, I didn't call the press conference a sham or confirm the affair." Hannah is irritated her parents don't believe her.

"It doesn't matter Hannah. You said something in that room and the reporters heard you. Do you have any idea what this means for us? Our careers could be over if we don't make it through this," Frank tells Hannah.

"Francis." Claire thinks her husband is being too harsh with their daughter.

"Well, I'm not the one who exposed us in the first place," Hannah says, her voice void of emotion.

"And we were handling it." Claire shoots back before her husband can. Her daughter has no idea the ramifications of what she's done. Her ambassadorship was already hanging by a thread to begin with. With this new development, it's highly unlikely her confirmation will go through.

"We need to present a united front, Hannah," Frank tells their daughter. Hannah nods. Getting into another argument with her parents is pointless. Even if she's right about Claire causing the scandal in the first place, she made things worse by mocking her parents in the press room.

"Fine. What do you want me to do?" Hannah asks. Frank lets out a sigh of relief. He expected more resistance from their daughter.

"Nothing. If someone were to ask you about the article, deny you said anything," Claire instructs Hannah.

"What if the reporters recorded my conversation with Seth?" Hannah asks.

"I have Doug looking into that right now. However, the article was vague. I'm guessing if they had a recording of you, they would've released it by now," Frank says.

"Adam's coming here, soon. I'm going to need your help sneaking him in," Claire tells Hannah. The teenager's azure eyes widen.

"You are bringing him, here? Why?" The last Hannah heard, her mother was not to have any contact with the photographer.

"Our strategy isn't working. We need him to end this," Claire says. Hannah's eyes flicker over to her unusually quiet father. He's nervous about her mother seeing Adam again. She can tell by the way he's fiddling with his class ring.

"Let me know when he gets here. I have homework to do," Hannah brushes past her parents and leaves the Oval.

"I love you," Claire tells Frank. It means a lot to her that he's defending her from everyone, including their daughter. Frank glances up at her and brushes a kiss to her cheek.

"I love you, too. I'll be back in the residence by the time Adam arrives."

After the Underwoods have dinner, they are informed that the Secret Service has cleared Adam through a private maintenance entrance that isn't accessible to the public. Claire and Hannah are the first to greet him. Frank chooses to hang back, pretending he has work to do in his study.

"Hello," Adam greets Claire with a kiss on the cheek.

"Adam, it's nice to see you again," Claire says when the separate. From behind her mother, Hannah lifts her eyebrows, surprised by Claire's warm greeting. Claire turns her head, locking eyes with Hannah. "This is Hannah, our daughter."

Hannah steps forward to shake the photographer's hand. She realizes where she's met Adam before; her mother's gala, two years ago. It's been bothering her since she saw Adam give a statement on TV yesterday.

"We've unofficially met at the CWI gala two years ago," Hannah comments as she steps back to stand next to her mother.

"She looks just like you," Adam says to Claire.

 _Hannah maneuvers her way through the mostly drunk party-goers in search of her parents. She locates her father first by the bar. Her mother is nowhere to be found. The teenager doesn't know many people here since they either work for or with her father. It would help if Hannah could find a familiar face to hang out with._

" _Hi Daddy," Hannah says while sliding behind the bar. Her father is courting a couple Hannah's seen over at the townhouse for dinner once. She knows her parents find them annoying, but their money is useful for her mother's company._

" _Hi," Frank mumbles as he's pouring a drink from the keg._

" _It's worth every penny to see you on keg duty, Frank," The older man says, accepting a beer from Frank. Frank leans over the bar, seeing Claire speaking with someone closely. The person his wife's talking to turns slightly and Frank realizes it's Adam. Hannah watches a frown curl on her father's lips and tracks his eyes over to her mother. She's confused by the sudden change in her father's demeanor. The teenager thought the whole point of tonight was to schmooze with as many people as possible to raise money for her mother's company._

 _In an instant, the annoyance dissipates from Frank's face, replaced with a grin._

" _Well isn't it worth a few extra pennies?" Frank asks, rubbing his fingers together._

" _Break out the checkbook, Charles," The woman instructs the man standing beside her. After the man writes Frank a check, the couple vacates the bar with their drinks in tow._

" _Who is that talking to Mom?" Hannah asks her dad. Frank breaks his staring contest with Adam's back to look at Hannah, forgetting momentarily that his daughter was still standing next to him._

" _That's Adam Galloway, a friend of your mother's." Frank's tone indicates that Adam is not a friend of his too. Her father has never been the jealous or possessive type before, but Hannah seems to be getting a glimpse of that side of him._

" _He seems nice," Hannah says, just to receive a slight glare from her father. Frank rustles the check in his hand. He's waiting for Adam to leave Claire so he can present her with the check from the Holburns'._

 _Frank walks over to his wife, showing her the large sum of money he just acquired from their supposed friends. Hannah seizes the opportunity to strike up a conversation with Adam, convinced he's more than just a friend of her mother's._

 _The teenager casually walks over to the display of Adam's photographs he donated for the silent auction, seeing him standing by them._

" _Wow, this one's really nice. Did you take these?" Hannah asks Adam, although she knows he did._

" _Yes. They are a feature I did about African life."_

" _You are really talented."_

" _You seem too young to be at a party like this," Adam comments. The girl looks eerily like Claire, but it could just be a coincidence._

" _My father is a congressman. He dragged me to this boring party, so he didn't have to go alone." Hannah points to a random man standing near Frank. "Apparently he's doing this as a favor to the woman hosting the gala."_

 _From across the room, Claire and Frank notice Hannah talking to Adam._

" _What is she doing?" Frank asks his wife._

" _I'm not sure." Claire wonders if Hannah saw them talking earlier. It's not a coincidence her daughter is striking up a conversation with Adam. Frank starts to walk over to where his daughter is, but Claire grabs his hand. "Honey, Adam won't say anything." She knows Adam wouldn't reveal the real reason why he's here. She doubts he even knows who Hannah is._

 _Frank relents, knowing his wife is right. He trusts her when it comes to her relationship with Adam._

" _I noticed the reporter is here," Claire says with a glint in her eye. Frank smirks at her and tugs on her hand, bringing them back into the mingling crowd._

" _She's proven herself useful," Frank mumbles to Claire before greeting another couple at the gala._

"I knew you looked familiar," Adam comments. Hannah grins just like Claire.

"Hannah, go find your father. I think he's in his study," Claire instructs. Hannah relents, knowing she is being dismissed. It's obvious her mother wants to talk to Adam privately before her father arrives.

After Hannah leaves, Claire and Adam are left awkwardly standing next to each other, wondering what the other is thinking.

"I'm sorry, Claire, about the shooting…and the miscarriage. I wanted to call you. I didn't think it would be appropriate…given how we left things." Adam begins. Usually, Claire hates it when people apologize to her, especially people she knows. However, with Adam, she realizes it's just who he is. He's sympathetic and remorseful; the opposite of Frank.

"Thank you, Adam. It's been difficult…but we're past it."

From behind Claire, Frank and Hannah walk into the living room. Adam and Frank lock eyes with each other, giving slight nods of acknowledgment. Their history isn't exactly pleasant, despite only meeting a couple of times. Frank has always seen Adam as a weak spot, a liability in he and Claire's political career. And, it doesn't help his wife has always had more feelings for Adam than she's let on, whether she realizes it or not.

"Hannah, we will be in your dad's study if you need us." Claire tells their daughter. Hannah looks irritated she's not going to be privy to this conversation. Secretly, the teenager's been dying to get her parents and Adam in the same room again ever since the gala. Her father pretending not to be jealous while her mother mediates between the two is wildly entertaining.

Adam and Frank follow Claire down the hall to Frank's study. Hannah remains in the living room for a few moments, wanting to give her parents the impression she's gone to her room. Slowly, Hannah makes her way towards the study, putting her ear to the door.

Hannah can barely make out what the three of them are saying until whatever Claire says sets Adam off.

"That's a fucking joke, Claire," Hannah hears Adam say. She bites her lip in anticipation, hoping her father will stick up for her mother.

"Do not mistake the history you two have shared for the slightest understanding of what our marriage is or how insignificant you are in comparison," Frank says. From the other side of the door, Hannah cheers and quickly covers her mouth, hoping her parents didn't hear her.

Hannah lingers, and then decides to actually go to her room after being unable to discern anything else meaningful.

She hears a door slam about twenty minutes later and assumes it's Adam storming out after not agreeing with whatever her parents plan is.

"How much of our conversation do you think Hannah heard?" Claire asks Frank while they are sharing a cigarette in his study. Predictably, Adam didn't like the latest development in this seemingly never-ending saga, but they were prepared for that. Hopefully, Adam will abide by their instructions and this scandal will be put to rest.

"All of it." Frank comments and inhales a puff. He passes the cigarette to Claire.

"What?" Claire asks, reading her husband's facial expression. There's something he's not saying, and it's bothering her.

"I think you should talk to Hannah about Adam. Tell her whatever you want, but she deserves to know the truth." Frank and Claire firmly believe in being as honest as they can be with their daughter. Selectively telling the truth has only proven to strain their relationship with the child.

"Okay, if that's what you think is best." Claire hands Frank the cigarette and hops down from his desk. She leans forward, brushing a kiss to his lips.

"Come in," Hannah says when she hears a knock on her door. Claire enters, closing the door behind her. She sits down on her daughter's bed, moving books and pillows aside to make room. "Did Adam leave?"

"Yes. He's going to give a statement tomorrow and we will go from there." Hannah notes the skepticism on her mother's face. Her mother doesn't entirely believe Adam will go along with whatever her parents told him to do.

"Mom, when I asked Daddy why you two sleep with other people, he said it was for information. I believed him when it came to that reporter, but it's different with you, isn't it?" Claire leans forward, choosing to lay next to her daughter instead. If Hannah wasn't so insightful, difficult conversations like this one would've have to happen.

"Yes. I did care about Adam a lot for a while, but I'm done with that now." After today, Adam made it clear he wants nothing to do with Claire, Frank and their world.

"Did you love him?"

"No. I thought I did…" Claire drifts off.

"Why are you with Daddy if you cared so much about Adam?" Hannah asks, hoping to keep the bitterness out of her tone. Her mother is being candid about her affair with the photographer. With the way her parents choose to not discuss their pasts, it's doubtful this topic will ever come up again.

"I was attracted to Adam's free spirit but realized that we wouldn't work long-term. I have a history with your father and a future with him. It would've been that way with Adam."

Hannah nods in understanding. She's learned so much about how her parents operate in their marriage in the past couple days. It's unconventional, but it's clear Frank and Claire love each other over everyone else.

Claire glances down at her daughter, watching her mentally process everything. She doesn't feel bad for telling Hannah about Adam. It was going to happen eventually.

"I have to admit, seeing Daddy jealous is funny. I've never seen him like that before," Hannah comments after a few moments of silence. Claire laughs as she wraps her arm around her daughter's shoulders.

"He rarely gets like that, usually just with Adam. I think it's ridiculous…and a little funny."

"Do you think the Senate will vote you through after this dies down?" Hannah asks. Claire shakes her head.

"No. A lot of people, even some within your father's administration, still believe the affair allegations. I doubt they will vote me through regardless of how I do on the hearing." Hannah is surprised by Claire's candor.

"What will happen if you don't get confirmed as an ambassador?" From experience, Hannah recognizes her parents hate to lose. She can only imagine the chaos they will cause if Claire isn't voted through.

"Your father will still give me the position. He will take a hit politically, which is why we wanted to try it the right way first."

Just as Claire thought, a week later, the Senate votes against confirming her for the ambassador position. Hannah and Frank are on-hand to offer their support. They sense how disappointed Claire is, despite her guessing she wasn't going to get the position anyway.

Hannah has barely seen Claire since their conversation in her bedroom last week. Her mother has holed herself in a guest bedroom down the hall to prepare for the hearing.

" _Where is your mother?" Frank asks Hannah, as he always does when Claire isn't directly in front of him. Hannah rolls her eyes and halfheartedly points down the hall to Claire's base camp. Frank knocks on the door, easing it open without hearing a response from Claire. His wife is intensely concentrating on a piece of paper she's holding in her hand. Frank comes up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist while brushing a kiss to her neck. She jumps slightly in his arms, not noticing he walked in._

" _Francis, what do you think about this?" Claire asks, ignoring the display of affection from her husband. Frank sighs against the nape of her neck and takes the piece of paper out of her hands. He can barely distinguish what is says with Claire's scribbles on it._

" _Here, hand me a pen," Frank tells her. Claire steps out of his embrace to reach for a pen laying on the desk. She hands it to him, watching him dissect her opening statement for her hearing._

" _Yes," Claire says after examining his notes. She sets the paper aside and takes her glasses off._

" _How's it coming?" Frank asks. He doesn't know why she's doing all this preparation when it's doubtful the Senate will confirm her. They put the Adam Galloway scandal to bed, but the timing is too close for the public to forget. It's unlikely the Senate will either._

" _Could go either way." He won't tell her what to focus on, or she shouldn't be working so hard because she won't listen. The only thing she will allow him to do is silently support her, as the president and her husband._

" _Are you sleeping in here again?" Claire nods, smirking at her husband's disappointment._

" _Just for a couple more days." Frank leans forward to peck her lips and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him._

The three of them are huddled in the press room, like how they were before giving their statement on the affair.

"Do you want me to go out there with you?" Frank asks Claire, gently grabbing her wrist. He doesn't have a statement prepared, but he can come up with something off-the-cuff if need be.

"No. I'll be right back." She would rather face this loss alone. Hannah gives Claire a quick one-armed hug. The teenager feels bad. She was partially to blame for the longevity of the Galloway scandal.

Claire steps out and gives her statement, refusing to answer any questions from the press regarding Adam or the failed confirmation. She comes back into the press room and squeezes Frank's wrist as she walks past.

"Is Mom okay?" Hannah asks Frank. He and Hannah walk out of the press room and down the hall to the Oval.

"She'll be fine. She just needs to be by herself for a little while."

"You will still give her the job though, right?" Hannah would hate for this to cause an issue between her parents. Frank hesitates on his answer. Truthfully, he has his doubts about his wife's ability to be an ambassador effectively, not that he will share those with her. She's never held public office before, and it will be viewed as nepotism on Frank's behalf.

"It's going to have to be something your mother and I discuss."

Claire talked to Hannah like Frank giving her the position was a sure thing. However, Frank seems to have his reservations about it.

"And what if you don't give her the job?" Hannah asks, stopping at the door outside of the Oval. Frank shrugs. His daughter seems apprehensive about the whole thing.

"Whatever I decide, I'm sure your mother will understand that it's in the best interest for us." Frank pinches her cheek and opens the door to the Oval, shutting it behind him. Hannah lingers outside, replaying what her father said to her over and over. _Whatever I decide,_ not whatever _we_ decide. The teenager senses something terrible is about to happen between her parents. Something they won't come back from.

 **A/N 2: Okay, I left the ending open on purpose simply because I'm trying to gauge where you want this story to go. Should I follow the show more, or completely break away from it? Do you want more Hannah? Less Hannah and more just Frank/Claire scenes? So many questions, but they help me when I'm writing. Please, please leave a review on your way out and thank you for sticking with this!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi guys, welcome back to another chapter! Thank you kindly for your comments, I love reading them. We are getting close to the end of** _ **State of Grace,**_ **only a few chapters left. For now, please enjoy the latest installment.**

 **Chapter Seven**

Since Hannah was six years old, she's known the trajectory of her parents fights. Like most married couples, it's starts out with an issue. Then, after ignoring it for a few days, one of her parents, usually Claire, decides to confront the problem directly. That leads to a fight, which inevitably causes her father to yell and her mother to stare at him until he's done. After that, one of two things happen: her father admits that he overreacted and her mother agrees, and they work together to resolve the issue in a way that is favorable to both parties. Or, on rare occasions, her mother storms out, and her father sulks anywhere from one to three nights, and then her parents talk amongst themselves to reset the equilibrium in their marriage. Rinse and repeat every three to six months.

This time is different, and Hannah can't figure out why. Since her father became president, her mother has been asking him to help secure her a position in his administration. Claire decided on an ambassadorship in the State Department, working alongside Catherine Durant. She would've been confirmed by the Senate had the Adam Galloway cheating scandal never happened. However, Claire's convinced that Frank would simply give her the position, but he's hesitating. Now, that is leading to instances of her parents having unresolved micro-fights, which is something Hannah has never seen them do before.

" _Where's Hannah?" Claire asks her husband a few nights ago. She hasn't seen the teenager since she left for school after the press conference. Frank looks up from his paperwork, shrugging his shoulders._

 _Hannah walks by her father's study, seeing the door cracked open. She can see the outline of her mother's silhouette, standing over her father's desk. The teenager hovers, wanting to see where their conversation leads. Ever since her father indicated he might not give her mother the ambassadorship earlier this afternoon, she's been hesitant to be around her parents. She has a feeling they are about to have another one of their infamous fights._

" _I don't know, probably in her room. I haven't seen her or you in a few hours." Frank expected his wife to lay low in the residences after her failed confirmation. She needed time to lick her wounds alone._

" _I took a nap after the hearing. I haven't been sleeping much these past few days." Claire sits down across from him, crossing one leg over the other. "Francis, we need to talk about the timetable on when we are going to hold a recess appointment for my ambassadorship. The Senate is going to be breaking in less than a week."_

 _Frank lets out a long sigh. He knew his wife wouldn't give up so easily, but he thought he had more time to convince her to look for another position._

" _Claire, are you sure this is what you want to do?" He asks. Claire tilts her head, confused as to why he would ask her such a question. She's been preparing for this position for months. It would be foolish of her to seek out another role now._

 _From outside the study, Hannah inhales a breath. She can imagine the irritation on her mother's face after her father's question without having to see it._

" _Why are you even asking me that question?" Frank holds out his hands, knowing he needs to tread carefully._

" _All I'm saying is we can find something else for you. It doesn't have to be this."_

" _Yes, it does, Francis. You're hesitating and I want to know why."_

 _Claire's made it clear to her husband that she won't be just his First Lady. They made an agreement while he is in the Oval to elevate her position so she will be able to run for office later. She's been patient, and now, she wants Frank to fulfill his promise._

 _Hannah waits with bated breath for her father's response. She moves to the side a little in case her mom walks out after he says whatever he's going to say. Nothing good will come of her parents discovering her eavesdropping on their conversations._

" _I just want us to think it through and make the best move. We have always done that in the past. Why is this time different for you?"_

" _Because you are stalling. There is a window of opportunity here that is closing rapidly. All I'm asking is that you don't go back on your word." Claire stands up and Hannah sprints down the hall, wanting it to appear as if she's just coming out of her room._

" _Claire," Frank calls out, half-expecting her to keep walking. Surprisingly, she turns around, wanting to hear what he has to say. "Let me talk to some people and we will set up an appointment."_

 _His wife is half-right. He did agree to do everything in his power to secure a position for her. However, he will take a hit politically if he hands her the ambassadorship after the Senate voted her down. He needs them on his side if he wants any legislation to be passed through during his tenure as president. It would be easier if his stubborn wife waited for another position to open, but she has her heart set on this one._

" _Fine. Goodnight, Francis."_

" _Goodnight."_

The next morning, Hannah sits between her parents for an awkward breakfast. She anticipated one of them to be absent. They are both there, silently passing sections of the newspaper back and forth. No conspiring, no smirking at each other over coffee; just silence. After Frank leaves, Hannah turns to her mother.

"What's going on between you and Daddy? Are you mad at each other or something?" Hannah asks. Claire briefly looks up from the newspaper and shakes her head.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"You could cut the tension in here with a knife. You glared at him when he set the travel section of the newspaper down instead of handing it to you." Claire smirks at her daughter's observation. "He's not going to give you the ambassador position, is he?"

"Why do you say that?" Hannah senses her cheeks flame. She must be honest with her mother, just like she would be with her.

"When I asked him if he was going to make you an ambassador, he told me it's 'whatever I decide.' I thought it was odd, given you guys always make decisions together." Claire reaches down to straighten the non-existent wrinkle in her pristine navy blazer.

"Hannah, there's no need to worry. Your father promised me he would do give me the job and I trust that he will." Her mother seems to be saying that to convince herself. "Have a good day at school." Claire leaves her daughter at the kitchen table. The teenager can guess with absolute certainty on where her mother is headed.

Claire walks into the Oval unannounced, catching her husband and Remy in mid-conversation. Frank waves her over and Remy quickly exits the office.

"Do you think we are making things uncomfortable for Hannah?" Claire asks while hopping onto her usual spot on his desk. Frank furrows his eyebrows as he tries to dissect his wife's question.

"How do you mean?"

"She said something about a tense breakfast between us this morning after you left."

"I didn't notice it." Claire sighs, glancing outside before looking back at her husband.

"Francis, we aren't being honest with each other. If you don't want me to have the ambassadorship…"

"We already discussed this, Claire. I will have Remy set up an appointment for you."

"But you don't want to. That's the problem. I feel like I don't have your support."

Frank feels terrible for making it seem as if he's not behind Claire one hundred percent. She's never wavered in her support for him. He believes in her. It's the political complications he's concerned with, which she isn't considering.

"Claire, it's not that." He gently places his hand on her thigh. "I just don't want there to be any more backlash on us."

"We know there's going to be. Regardless of what position I take in your administration." Claire pauses and suddenly maneuvers her way off his desk. There's some reason as to why he's so reluctant to hand her the position. He blames it on the politics, but his argument is thin. He's concealing the real reason because he knows she'll be angry at him. And that could only mean one thing: doubt. He must be uncertain about her capability to do the job.

"I want you to look at me and tell me that you don't doubt my ability to be an ambassador," Claire insists, because she needs to know the truth. After nearly thirty years of marriage, she can read his face, knowing exactly what to look for.

Before Frank can respond, an aide pops their head into the Oval, disrupting their heated conversation.

"Sir, Secretary of Defense Donaldson is waiting outside," the aide says and closes the door behind her. Claire and Frank turn to each other. He reaches to skim his fingertips along her arm.

"We will talk about this later," Frank tells her. Claire nods slowly, debating if she wants to push her husband or not. She can tell by the avoidance of this discussion that he doesn't want to answer her.

Claire leaves his office without answering her husband. She doesn't want to hear his excuse for why he doesn't believe she will be an excellent ambassador.

As Claire is heading into an early afternoon meeting, she senses her cell phone ring in her pocket. She slides it out, wanting to make sure it's not Hannah attempting to contact her. Instead, she sees an unknown number with a familiar area code. It's a call originating from Dallas, Texas. And there's only one person with that number that would be calling her.

"Hello Mother," Claire says with little enthusiasm. The last person she wants to talk to after a day like today is Elizabeth Hale. She is guessing her mother is calling to voice her opinion about Claire's failed hearing and she doesn't want to hear it.

"Claire, I'm coming to D.C. for a few days," Elizabeth says bluntly. Claire lifts her eyebrows in surprise. In all the years she's lived in Washington, she can't recall a time her mother came her way. The two usually avoid each other when they can.

"Oh, okay, when?"

"My flight leaves in an hour. I should be there in time for dinner." _Fantastic,_ Claire thinks to herself sarcastically. She isn't in the mood to hear her mother's harsh comments. Not when she's already irritated with her husband. If Elizabeth senses any tension between her and Frank, she will pounce. Her mother has always hated her husband, which has caused even more animosity between Elizabeth and Claire.

"Okay, I'll have someone prepare a room for you."

"Good. And Claire, make sure they clean it. I don't want to stay anywhere dirty." Of course, Elizabeth would say that about the White House. It's not like Claire is asking her mother to stay at some rat-infested motel down the street with the tourists.

"Yes Mother, I'll see you when you arrive." Claire hangs up the phone and swears softly to herself. She wants her mother's visit to be brief and as painless as possible.

Claire hopes she can get to Hannah in time to warn her daughter about her mother. Elizabeth won't spare her unfiltered remarks on her granddaughter. If anything, Hannah will get the brunt of them because she's Frank and Claire's daughter.

"Tell Jessica that I am cancelling my meetings for this afternoon…my mother is coming into town," Claire informs her executive assistant.

After her three o'clock meeting, Claire walks back into the residences, looking for Hannah.

"Hannah?" Claire yells out into the living room. Her daughter is almost always perched at the dining room table doing her homework. "Hannah?"

"I'm in my room!" Hannah exclaims from down the hall. Claire breathes a sigh of relief. For some reason, she thought Elizabeth was already here.

"Can I come in?" Claire asks from the other side of the door. Hannah gives her permission and Claire walks into the teenager's room.

"What are you freaking out about?" Hannah asks. Her mother seems more wound up than she was this morning. The teenager is expecting Claire to tell her she is leaving the residences for a few days after a fight with her father.

"My mother is coming into town tonight. She'll be staying here." Claire is careful not to say, 'your grandmother.' She's leaving the title up to Hannah because of who Elizabeth is.

"Okay. Who is she?" Hannah doesn't remember ever meeting any of her grandparents. As far as she knows, her father's parents are dead, and her mother's father is dead as well.

"Her name is Elizabeth Hale. You met her once, when you were two and it didn't go well."

" _What do you mean our reservation is cancelled?" Frank asks the concierge at their Dallas hotel. He and Claire have had a long day of travelling with their toddler. They would just like to get up to their hotel room to change and put Hannah down for a quick nap._

" _I'm sorry, Sir. Someone cancelled your reservation a couple days ago. Apparently, you found a better offer somewhere else." Frank glances over at Claire, who is trying to feed a fussy Hannah a snack. She shakes her head. There wouldn't be a reason to cancel a room at the most expensive hotel in Dallas._

" _Fine. Can you get us another room?" Frank isn't going to waste his breath arguing with this man._

" _Unfortunately, Sir, there is a convention in town, and we are fully booked. We would be happy to call around to see if any other hotel in the area can take you."_

 _Claire sees Frank bite his lip and knows it's time to intervene. She plops Hannah into his arms and bids the concierge goodbye._

" _Where are we going to go?" Frank asks Claire when they are back in the car. Claire finishes buckling Hannah into her seat and climbs in the car beside her husband._

" _My mother's." Frank sighs but knows his wife wouldn't be suggesting it if they didn't have anywhere else to go. "Luckily, it's only for two nights." There's enough room at the mansion that they wouldn't have to see Elizabeth if they didn't want to. And they certainly don't._

 _Claire gives the driver directions to the Hale mansion without bothering to inform her mother they are coming. When they arrive, Elizabeth answers the door with a smug expression on her face._

" _Did someone cancel your hotel reservation?" Elizabeth asks. Claire rolls her eyes and adjusts Hannah higher on her hip. Frank manages a small grin at his wife's annoyance. Sometimes, he finds the two's strained relationship entertaining even if he's always on Claire's side._

" _Mother, this is Hannah. Hannah, this is your grandmother," Claire says. Hannah refuses to acknowledge Elizabeth, choosing instead to tuck her head into her mother's neck. Elizabeth moves aside so Frank can carry in their bags._

" _Why would you cancel our reservation? You clearly don't want us here," Frank comments. He learned a long time ago that bluntness works best with Claire's mom._

" _You're right, I don't want you here, but I figured this was the only way I'd ever be able to meet my granddaughter. Hopefully, you two haven't done enough damage to her already." Claire sets Hannah down, letting her acclimate to this new place._

" _We will only be staying two nights. Francis and I have events lined up so we will be out of your hair most of our trip," Claire informs her mother. Elizabeth nods slowly, keeping an eye on Hannah. The toddler is inching closer to a shelf with breakable antiques on it._

" _What about the child? I'm not watching her," Elizabeth says. Frank gently rests his hand on Claire's shoulder. He can practically see the annoyance radiating off his wife._

" _No, Mother, we are bringing_ Hannah _with us." All the sudden, the three adults hear glass break from across the room. Hannah must've reached for the bowl on the shelf and it tipped over, shattering it on impact. The toddler is crying, frightened by the sound. Claire rushes over, sweeping the toddler in her arms. Frank bites back a sigh. This trip is already becoming a disaster and they barely arrived._

" _Sure, coddle her instead of scolding her for breaking my things, that'll teach her," Elizabeth mutters, not bothering to hold back her frustration at Hannah. Frank stays quiet. Usually, he lets Claire decide how to respond to her mother. He only intervenes when he sees Claire becoming upset._

" _I'll buy you a new bowl, Mother," Claire says. She doesn't bother recognizing her mother's comment. Elizabeth waves her hand in the air, as to suggest her daughter missed the point entirely._

" _It's fine. I just wish…you would raise her correctly. Although, with parents like you two, I shouldn't be surprised." Elizabeth complains and walks upstairs, slamming the door behind her._

"She said that to you? What did Daddy say?" Hannah asks after her mother is done telling her story. Claire shakes her head.

"I think he was so shocked that she would say something like that to me, he didn't say anything."

"That's a first," Hannah mutters. Claire nods in agreement. It's rare her husband is rendered speechless. Only a few people can do that to him, one of them being Elizabeth Hale.

"He was stewing about it the whole trip. I think he ended up getting her kicked out of some Republican club she belonged to." Hannah laughs, she believes her father would be vindictive enough to do something like that.

"So, should I avoid her? Or try to be nice to her?"

"Hannah, whatever my mother says to you, just ignore it. She's going to say things to get a reaction from you. Trust me, she's been doing it to me my entire life."

There's no point in pretending this is going to be a pleasant visit. Claire is guessing her mother is going to decide she'd be better suited at a hotel downtown before the day is over with.

"Why does she hate you?" Hannah asks. Claire shrugs, she's been trying to think of an answer to that question for years.

"I don't know. I think for a long time she resented how close I was with my daddy. And then, she saw me marrying your father as an act of defiance. At our wedding, she kept telling everyone that our marriage was only going to last a year."

"A year? Wow, she had a lot of faith in you and Daddy," Hannah says sarcastically.

"She kept telling me I was making a mistake. And when I was pregnant with you, she told me the best thing I could do for you was to get rid of you."

"Why would she say that?" Hannah asks. She knows her parents weren't exactly thrilled about her arrival, but for her own grandmother to say that about her is unsettling.

"She convinced herself we would be lousy parents. And we were, for a while. We didn't know what we were doing with you, but we figured it out."

Hannah appreciates Claire being honest with her about Elizabeth and not letting her walk into a situation uninformed. A part of her thinks this will be fun to watch her mother, father and grandmother interact with each other when there's a lot of unresolved issues between the three. 

"I have to find your father and tell him that his favorite person is coming," Claire tells Hannah and gets off the bed.

"I wouldn't do that. You know Daddy would just use that as an excuse to hide in the Oval all night." Claire nods, her daughter does have a point. Her husband would conjure up some imaginary crisis just so he wouldn't have to see his mother-in-law.

"Finish your home…" Claire cuts herself off when she hears voices coming from the living room of the residences. "Come on." She gestures for Hannah to follow her.

Frank and Elizabeth are standing by the window, chatting with each other. Whatever Elizabeth said just made Frank laugh. Hannah glances over at Claire, who looks just as perplexed as she does. However, Claire's noticed sometimes her husband treats Elizabeth like a constituent and puts on a show to impress her.

"It's about time you got out here. I thought you were going to leave me to talk with your husband all night," Elizabeth says to Claire.

"Hello Mother, you are looking well," Claire says, brushing past her mother's comment entirely. Hannah awkwardly stands next to her mother, not sure if she should introduce herself or her parents will do that for her. "I'm sure you remember meeting our daughter, Hannah."

"Hi, nice to meet you…" Hannah trails off, not knowing what to call Claire's mother. She holds out her hand for Elizabeth to shake but withdraws it when she sees the elder woman merely staring at her.

"She looks like you…what a shame," Elizabeth says to Claire. "I do remember meeting you, Hannah. I remember you breaking a bowl that belonged to my great grandmother within minutes of you entering my house."

 _It figures that's what Elizabeth recalls from meeting her granddaughter over twelve years ago_ , Claire thinks to herself.

Frank eyes slide over to his daughter's waiting to hear what she has to say. He is guessing his wife warned Hannah about how to deal with Elizabeth. Hopefully, the teenager is up to the task.

Hannah doesn't respond, letting the comment roll right off her. She isn't sure which strategy she's going to go with yet when it comes to her grandmother. For now, she's ignoring Elizabeth's remarks, but that might change depending on how fierce they become.

Elizabeth seems taken aback by Hannah's reluctance to react. She glares at the teenager as she shrugs her coat off.

Frank moves closer to his wife, gliding his hand up her spine. He was more than a little surprised to see his mother-in-law standing in his living room. He would've appreciated a warning from his wife.

Claire regrets not informing her husband about her mother's arrival, but she wasn't given the chance. And if she's being honest with herself, she's still irritated at him about their disagreement earlier today. Nothing is resolved, but they are going to shelve that conversation until after Elizabeth leaves.

"Well, are we going to stand here looking at each other all night, or are we going to eat?" Elizabeth asks, directing her question at Claire.

Hannah lifts her eyebrows in surprise at the disdain present in Elizabeth's voice when she speaks to Claire. The teenager thought her mother was exaggerating a little when she came to warn her. It's clear Claire was right about the icy exterior she receives from her mother.

Frank skims his hand up to his wife's shoulder blade, giving it a gentle squeeze. He can only imagine how the constant belittling weighs on Claire. She isn't weak by any means, but she responds differently when it's her mother. If it was anyone else, Claire would shred them to pieces. With Elizabeth, she holds back, only striking when she's had enough.

"We had the chef make something, it should be ready in a few minutes. Your room is down the hall." Claire points to the spare bedroom next to Hannah's. She isn't going to bother showing her mother to her room, Elizabeth can figure it out on her own.

Elizabeth, with a staffer's assistance, goes to put her luggage in the bedroom. Hannah, Frank and Claire remain in the living room, digesting the encounter they just had with Elizabeth.

"Holy shit, she's awful," Hannah whispers to her parents. They nod in agreement.

"Hannah, can you make sure everything is set for dinner? I want to talk to your father about something really quick."

Hannah walks into the kitchen, giving her parents some alone time as requested.

Claire turns to her husband, nervously fiddling with his tie.

"Should we even subject Hannah to this?" Claire asks. Frank gently detaches her hands from his already-straight tie. He thought she was going to bring up the ambassadorship instead of their daughter.

"Yes. She can handle it, just like you can." He reaches to gently pinch her cheek. Claire nods, stepping away from him when their daughter walks back into the living room.

"Dinner's ready."

 **A/N 2: This is where I leave you. Next chapter, Hannah squares off with Elizabeth and Claire learns why her mother is truly in Washington. Thank you for reading and please leave a review on your way out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hello and welcome back! I know it's been a little while, and hopefully you are still interested in another update. Thank you, as always, for the kind words and attention you have brought to my fics, I always appreciate it. Enjoy the latest installment!**

 **Chapter Eight**

"Where should I sit?" Hannah asks Claire as they circle around the table. She doesn't want to get stuck sitting next to Elizabeth for the next hour. Hopefully, this is a short and relatively painless dinner. Although, by the way her grandmother is glaring at her, something tells Hannah this will be anything but.

"Sit next to me, make your dad sit next to her," Claire whispers back to her daughter. Hannah giggles into her hand and sits down next to her mother. Her father chooses to sit at the head of the table instead, leaving Elizabeth by herself on the other side.

"So, Mother, what brings you to D.C.?" Claire asks. She knows it's not to see her grandchild. Elizabeth accepts a plate of green beans from Hannah before answering.

"Well, I knew you weren't going to come down to Texas any time soon, so I figured I could come up here. You haven't ever invited me up since you moved to Washington," Elizabeth comments to Claire.

 _I wonder why that is,_ Claire thinks to herself.

"We didn't have room at the townhouse for any guests. I know you wouldn't've wanted to sleep in the living room or in Hannah's room," Claire responds. Frank takes a sip of his wine, glancing between his wife and mother-in-law. He's been present for vicious fights between Elizabeth and Claire in the past and knows when one is about to begin.

"Still, a phone call every now and then would've been nice."

"The phone works both ways, Mother."

Claire isn't going to allow herself to be blamed for the chasm in her and Elizabeth's relationship. Especially now, when Hannah is watching. She doesn't want her daughter to see her mother bulldoze all over her like she has many times before.

Hannah keeps her eyes focused on her food, counting the seconds until she can be excused from the table. She hopes to never have this fractured of a relationship with either of her parents. The teenager might not understand the reasoning behind the decisions they make, but at least they treat her like a human being.

"How have you adjusted to your father becoming president, Hannah?" Elizabeth asks her granddaughter.

"I didn't like it at first because of all the attention. I'm slowly getting used to it," Hannah says. She figures honesty works best for her parents; it might do the same for her grandmother.

"So, you are more like your mother," Elizabeth says. Frank and Claire glance at each other, wondering where Elizabeth is going with this conversation.

"Is that a bad thing?" Hannah asks, genuinely wanting to hear Elizabeth's response. Elizabeth looks directly at Claire even though she's addressing Hannah.

"For someone who claims not to want attention, your mother does a great job at bringing onto herself."

"She's the First Lady of the United States. It's kind of hard not to be in the spotlight," Hannah says, defending Claire. Elizabeth scoffs at Hannah's statement, thinking it's the most ridiculous thing she's ever heard.

"She didn't have to get herself involved in a cheating scandal."

"We handled it, Elizabeth," Frank says for the first time since everyone sat down. It's unusual for him to be so quiet. He figured he'd let Claire handle this conversation.

"I know what you said to the media, but I also know how good of a liar my daughter can be. Did you sleep with him, Claire?" Elizabeth asks.

"No, I didn't. Adam and I were just friends," Claire lies. She doesn't need a lecture from her mother about being a bad influence on Hannah if she were to tell the truth.

"It's too bad about the ambassador position then, but you have no experience in that either, so maybe it's for the best."

"She's still getting the position, Elizabeth," Frank says with confidence. Claire locks eyes with him, grinning slightly when he winks at her. Whether he means what he says or not, Claire still appreciates her husband sticking up for her.

Elizabeth opens her mouth and then shuts it without saying a word. She is quiet for a few seconds, seeming to take time to think of a new attack strategy.

"That's good, given all you've been through during the past year," Elizabeth mumbles. Hannah mistakenly takes this as a peace offering. However, Claire isn't so convinced.

"It was a hard year, for all of us," Claire says. Frank gently rests his hand on her thigh, knowing his wife is thinking about the miscarriage. It's not a topic they bring up often, but he knows it's still looms over her.

"I saw your press conference Claire. I thought you were very convincing when you were talking about the miscarriage," Elizabeth says. Frank and Hannah look at Claire, who is desperately trying to conceal the anguish in her features. Claire takes a sip of wine and clears her throat before answering.

"I wasn't lying, Mother. I really was pregnant with our second child during the time of my shooting." Elizabeth scoffs at the notion. She always had the idea Claire was never going to have children because Frank didn't want them. Well that was true in the past, they've adjusted their line of thinking since then.

"It's probably for the best that you didn't have two kids. From what I hear, you can barely handle the one you have now."

Claire abruptly leaves the table after Elizabeth's remark. Hannah looks at Frank, wondering why he isn't going after his wife or saying something to her grandmother. If her father isn't going to speak up, then she will.

"Why are you so jealous of her?" Hannah asks Elizabeth. Elizabeth laughs into her glass of wine.

"You are just like her. You think everyone wants to be just like you."

"My mother is the First Lady of the United States; people look up to her and actually want to be her. At least she isn't a miserable lonely bitch like you." Hannah says with the same steel in her voice Frank has seen from Claire on numerous occasions.

Elizabeth merely glares at Hannah while Frank beams with pride. He's happy his daughter is defending his wife, as she should.

Moments later, Claire returns to the dining room, with Meechum on her tail. The secret service agent is holding suitcases, presumably Elizabeth's.

"Mother, Edward will escort you to a suite at the Hay Adams. You are no longer welcome at the White House," Claire says. There's no emotion behind her voice, nothing to indicate how upset her mother's comments have made her.

"I can show myself out. Let's go," Elizabeth tells Meechum. Hannah, Claire and Frank watch her head out of the residences and towards the awaiting elevator. Back in the dining room, Claire stands up and gestures for Frank to push out his chair. He holds out his arm for her, watching her sit on his lap.

"I can't believe that just happened," Hannah comments. "Did you book that hotel suite while you were gone?" Claire shakes her head while reaching over to take a sip of Frank's wine.

"I had that suite booked the moment I hung up the phone with my mother this afternoon. Experience has taught me always to have a back-up plan. Are you okay?" Hannah's eyes widen at her mother's question.

"Me? I'm fine. It's you that I am concerned about. She attacked you, Mom." Claire shrugs as if the deeply personal things her mother said didn't have any affect on her. Truthfully, Claire stepped away for a moment to regain her composure so Elizabeth wouldn't see her cry. She won't give her mother the satisfaction.

"I'm going for a run, I'll be back." Claire gives Frank a kiss on the cheek and walks into the master bedroom. Frank and Hannah watch her go before he disappears into his study. Hannah is left at the table alone with something pressing on her mind.

Hannah waits until she sees her mother and an army of secret service agents leave the residence before she goes to speak with her father. She knocks on the study door and waits for him to grant his permission to enter.

"Come," Frank says, knowing it's Hannah on the other side. Hannah steps in and sits down in the chair across from the mahogany desk. "I knew you were going to come in here, I could see it on your face." Frank throws down his pen and leans back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why didn't you stand up for Mom? If anybody said half of the things Elizabeth said to Mom, you would've lost your temper. What was different about tonight?" A grin pulls at Frank's lips.

"I wanted you to, and you did." Confusion furrows Hannah's brow.

"Why? And why did Mom just sit there and take it?" Hannah asks. She's never known either of her parents to sit back and let someone beat them down. They always manage to get the upper hand.

"Remember when you were about five-years-old, and some boy was picking on you?" Frank asks abruptly. Hannah nods at the memory.

"Yes, and I remember you and Mom telling me to stand up for myself."

" _Hannah, where did you get that bruise?" Claire asks one night at the table. She gently grabs Hannah's arm, wanting to get a closer look at the injury. Frank looks up from his food and leans over, wanting to see what his wife sees._

" _A boy was picking on me, he hurt me," Hannah says quietly as her eyes fill with tears. Frank and Claire's eyes meet over their daughter's head. Claire can tell how angry her husband is getting at the thought of someone hurting their little girl._

" _What happened?" Claire asks._

" _He wanted the ball I was playing with and I didn't give it to him. He grabbed my arm and took it from me," Hannah explains while tears roll down her cherubic cheeks. From under the table, Frank clenches his fist. If he knew which boy hurt his daughter, he would take care of the child personally. However, this is a teachable moment for Hannah, and he won't interfere._

" _Did you tell the teacher what happened?" Claire asks. Hannah nods and sniffs. "And what did the teacher say?"_

" _She said she didn't see anything and would keep an eye on Ian in case he does something again." Claire shakes her head at the poor response her daughter got from someone who's in charge of protecting her at school._

" _Well, if this happens again, if he hurts you again, I want you to fight back," Frank tells Hannah. Hannah looks over at Claire, who is nodding in agreement._

" _Okay, I will," Hannah says without hesitation._

 _The next day, Claire receives a call from Hannah's school while she's at work. Apparently, Hannah got into an altercation with the same boy who hurt her yesterday at recess. Claire calls Frank to tell him she will take care of the situation, so he doesn't have to leave work._

" _Thank you. Let me know if I need to go beat up a five-year-old," Frank tells Claire over the phone._

" _I will. See you at home, tonight." Claire hangs up the phone and gathers her things to leave for Hannah's school._

 _When she arrives, Hannah is sitting in the principal's office. The braids Claire did for her this morning are mostly undone, dirt is present on her daughter's school uniform and there's a cut on Hannah's lip._

" _Hi Mommy," Hannah whispers. Claire bends down to be eye-level with her daughter._

" _Are you okay?" Claire asks. Hannah nods and shows Claire the scrape she has on her knee. "I will be right back and then we can go home."_

 _When Claire leaves the principal's office, she collects Hannah and carries her to the car._

" _Mommy, am I in trouble?" Hannah asks as she's buckling into the back seat of Claire's car. Claire turns around to face her daughter._

" _Of course not, Hannah. You did exactly what your father and I told you to do. Honey, you broke his nose." Claire was shocked at the extent of the boy's injuries her daughter inflicted. Hannah smiles at the thought of escaping punishment._

 _When Frank gets home hours later, Claire relays what happened at Hannah's school._

" _You should go talk to her," Claire tells her husband. She knows their daughter values Frank's approval as much as hers. Frank sets aside his glass of wine and knocks on the door to his daughter's room._

" _Hi Daddy," Hannah says when she opens the door. Frank steps in and sits on Hannah's bed, prompting the little girl to sit beside him._

" _Your mother told me that you broke that boy's nose." Hannah nods timidly, wondering if her mom was lying about her not being punished. "I'm proud of you, Han. You stood up for yourself, which is the right thing to do."_

"I don't think that boy ever came within five feet of me ever again," Hannah comments.

"I don't doubt that for a second. You are just like your mother when you get angry," Frank says through his laughter. After a moment, his smile dissipates. "Hannah, if you want to be in politics like us, you have to learn when and how to respond to criticism. There are going to be a million people out there like Elizabeth who only want to beat you down."

"Are you saying that I should've let Elizabeth continue to talk to Mom like she did?" Frank shakes his head. His daughter isn't quite getting the point he's trying to make.

"No, I think what you said was perfect in shutting her up. What I'm saying is you have to pick your battles. Your mother gave up on Elizabeth a long time ago and distances herself from the harsh comments. You need to learn how to do the same if you want this life."

"I understand, I just couldn't sit there and not saying anything to that _woman._ " Hannah cringes at the thought of being related to Elizabeth. Hopefully, she doesn't have to endure her grandmother ever again.

"Trust me, there are times when I thought about arranging Elizabeth's death and I'm sure your mom has felt the same. We have a plan for her, though." Hannah grins,

"Don't you always?" Frank leans over to pinch the teenager's cheek and watches her leave. He hopes Hannah comprehends what he is trying to tell her and will use it to her advantage in the future.

Later that night, Frank is the first to crawl into bed. Claire snuck into the shower while he was still in his study. She comes out dressed in an ivory, silk matching pajama set. He holds out his arm for her, watching her slide across the bed to curl up next to him.

They are silent for a few minutes. Frank is debating bringing up his conversation with Hannah and how his wife is feeling after she had time to de-stress after the dinner. He doesn't want to force her to talk about it if she doesn't want to.

"I hate her," Claire whispers, more to herself than to her husband. Frank instinctively tightens his grip on her.

"I know. She makes it impossible for you to do anything else." 

"Did Hannah talk to you after I left?" Claire asks.

"Yes. I think she understands what we were trying to do."

"Good." Claire senses his lips brush against her hair.

The next day, Hannah spots her mother drinking her coffee while flipping through the newspaper at the dining room table. Her father is nowhere to be found. Hannah takes the opportunity to talk to her mother about what transpired last night.

"Mom, do you have a minute?" Hannah asks, gesturing to the open chair across from Claire. Claire takes her reading glasses off her nose.

"Always. Did you enjoy last night?" Claire asks sarcastically. She didn't want her daughter to be exposed to Elizabeth, but it was inevitable. From what Claire hears, Hannah responded exactly like she wanted her daughter to.

"Not really. I'm sor…" Hannah pauses, forgetting how much her mother hates apologies, "it's unfortunate that she had to bring up that stuff." Claire nods.

"Hannah, Elizabeth is a weak person. She only said those things because she knew it would provoke me. I shouldn't've left the table and gave her the upper hand. It was a silly thing for me to do."

"Coming back with Meechum and her suitcases was a nice touch. I don't think she was expecting that. You're okay, though, right?"

Truthfully, Claire regrets telling Elizabeth about the miscarriage because she knew her mother was going to react in the most inhumane way possible. For a moment, she wanted her mother to provide comfort, which was idiotic on her part. Instead, Elizabeth went for the jugular, attacking Claire's parenting skills and criticizing Hannah in the process.

"I'll be fine. Get to school."

Hannah grabs up her bookbag and bids her mother goodbye. When she's alone, Claire reaches across her body, skimming her thumb over the scar on her shoulder. Then, she shakes her head and drops her arm, chastising herself for looking back instead of forward.

Around lunchtime, Frank gets on a knock on the Oval Office door. He waves whoever it is in without giving it a second thought. Instead of his wife coming in, it's his mother-in-law.

"Elizabeth? What are you doing here?" Frank asks as his mother-in-law is making herself comfortable on the couch. Claire made it clear last night that her mother was not welcome in the White House, and his wife doesn't make empty threats.

"I came to talk to you without my daughter present. Now, sit," Elizabeth points to the other couch across from her. Frank admits he's intrigued by Elizabeth's presence in his office and joins her.

"Let's cut the bullshit. Why are you here? It certainly wasn't to see Claire or Hannah. If that was the case, you would've shown up a long time ago."

"I came to Washington not to see my daughter and granddaughter, but to get a second opinion." Frank tilts his head.

"A second opinion on what?"

"Lymphoma." Frank realizes what Elizabeth is alluding to and wishes Claire were here for this conversation.

"How long do you have?"

"Six months, at best. With the way things are going, probably less."

"Why are you telling me this and not your daughter?" Elizabeth shakes her head and swats at the air.

"You know why. We don't have that kind of relationship."

"She deserves to know, Elizabeth."

"Why do you think I'm telling you?"

In a way, Frank thinks what Elizabeth is doing is kind. She could've told Claire and Hannah at dinner last night, but she refrained. By coming to Frank, someone Elizabeth hates more than anyone, she knows he will tell Claire more delicately and provide more support than she would.

"I'll tell her. She will want to come down to Texas when it's time." Elizabeth nods in understanding. She stands up and Frank follows suit. "Goodbye, Frank." She holds out her hand for Frank to shake. He obliges, knowing this will be the last time he sees Elizabeth.

"You should say goodbye," Frank tells Elizabeth, who immediately shakes her head.

"Like I said, we don't have that kind of relationship."

Frank watches his mother-in-law walk out. He understands now why Claire was so afraid she would turn into Elizabeth when she was pregnant with Hannah.

" _I can't have her hate me, Francis." Claire says one night while her and Frank are relaxing on the couch. She puts her feet on top of his lap and folds her arms over her swollen stomach. Frank gathers up her feet, gently massaging them._

" _She won't." His wife is nearing the end of her pregnancy and is increasingly feeling insecure about impending motherhood. It's so unlike her and Frank is starting to worry they made the wrong decision by keeping the baby._

" _I don't feel the way I should. When I read those parenting books, they talk about how happy other people are about having a baby, I don't feel that way. I feel nothing." Frank lifts his eyebrows in shock. What his wife is saying is news to him, given she was the one who wanted to have the baby instead of getting an abortion. "What if I'm like my mother? I'm sure she felt the same way about being pregnant with me."_

 _Based on the way Elizabeth treated Claire throughout her childhood, she wonders why her mother even bothered to have a child. She can't help but think maybe she will turn out the same way with her own daughter, even if it's by accident._

" _You are not Elizabeth. Your feelings will change. We will be happy to have had her." Frank says with such confidence; Claire doesn't bother to refute him. She appreciates him being the voice of reason when she is having doubts._

" _Okay." She leans over as much as her abdomen will allow and grabs his hand. He squeezes it tightly, giving her a smile._

"Francis?" Claire asks when she sees him staring out the window of the office. She's been in here for a few minutes trying to get her husband's attention.

"When did you get in here?" He asks. Claire steps closer to his desk, spreading her hands across it.

"Just now. How can I help?"

"Help with what?"

"Whatever seems to be on your mind." _We don't keep secrets; we don't lie to each other_ ¸ Frank can hear Claire's voice in his ear. He will tell her about Elizabeth, just not now.

"I'm debating on what the best way to roll out your ambassadorship should be. We want to time this perfectly to avoid as little blowback as possible."

Claire is confused as to what brought on Frank's sudden change of heart about her ambassadorship. He was against it before Elizabeth came to Washington, and now, it's all he wants to talk about. She thought she was going to have to fight him on it more. For him to give in suddenly is unlike him.

"I was thinking before the Senate recesses and you launch your job works program would be a good plan. I can be confirmed and then you can announce your program." Frank leans back in his chair while he absorbs Claire's thought.

"I like the idea." Frank declares.

"I'll leave you to it then," Claire says and flees the office. Frank lets out a breath. He can tell she knew he was keeping something from her.

When he gets back to the residences, Claire is perched on the windowsill, smoking a cigarette. He glances around the living room, wondering if their daughter is here.

"Where's Han?" Frank asks.

"She and Lauren are in the screening room." Frank sheds his blazer and briefcase on the table. "You seem distracted." He approaches her, softly taking the cigarette out of her hands.

"Elizabeth came by the Oval today, looking for me." Predictably, Claire seems confused by Frank's revelation.

"What did she want?" Frank pauses to inhale the cigarette and then hands it back to his wife.

"She came to Washington because she wanted a second opinion on her lymphoma diagnosis." Claire nods slowly while taking a lengthy drag of the cigarette.

"I figured. I put a detail on her after she left the White House last night. Edward told me she stopped at an oncologist in Georgetown." Frank remains silent for a moment, accepting the cigarette back from Claire. He wants her to absorb this at her own pace. "How long does she have?"

"She said six months, at best, probably less. We can move her up to Washington if you want. There might be better treatment options in D.C. than in Dallas."

"No." Frank won't fight his wife on this. He doesn't blame her for not wanting to look into alternatives that could potentially lengthen her mother's life.

"Alright." Frank watches Claire take the cigarette back from him. His thumb glides down her cheek just as Claire's face begins to crumble. He puts the cigarette out and wraps his arms around her.

Claire cries softly into his shoulder. She didn't expect to become so emotional. Their relationship is complicated and mostly volatile. Nevertheless, Elizabeth is still her mother. When her mother dies, Claire will have no other living family besides Frank and Hannah.

Frank rubs her back while Claire regains her composure. He expected her to react this way; to be passive at first and then cry. She pulls away from him, wiping her eyes with the bend of her finger.

"Hannah doesn't need to know," Claire tells Frank. There is no sense in telling their daughter when she barely knew Elizabeth. When Elizabeth dies, they will have a small service in Dallas and be done with it.

"I agree."

"Hannah doesn't need to know what?" Hannah asks from across the living room. Lauren is no longer with the teenager. Frank and Claire lock eyes with each other. He shrugs; It's up to his wife whether he wants to tell their daughter or not.

"Your grandmother is sick. That's why she's was here, but she went back home," Claire tells Hannah. She figures the teenager heard half her and Franks conversation anyway.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Mom." Hannah walks over to the windowsill to stand in front of both her parents.

"Me too."

Frank relights a cigarette and hands it to Claire. In turn, Claire hands it to Hannah, who accepts it, despite not liking it before. Hannah takes a drag and hands it to her father. Claire holds her arm out for Hannah, smiling when the teenager steps closer. Frank watches Claire wrap her arms around Hannah, leaning her head towards their daughter's shoulder. He hands the cigarette to his wife and leans over to kiss her lips.

"Gross," Hannah complains with a scowl.

"I enjoy our time together," Claire comments, looking from Frank to Hannah.

"So do I," Frank agrees and passes the cigarette to his daughter.

"Does this mean I officially get to join you guys when you smoke and scheme?" Hannah says with a glint in her cerulean eyes. Frank laughs while Claire nods.

"I think every once in a while would be alright," Claire says.

 **The End**

 **A/N 2: I'm ending it here because I feel like I've said everything I want to say with this story. It was getting harder and harder to find new ideas I didn't already cover in my other fic. I hope you guys enjoyed Hannah's story and still want to read more of Emily's! Thanks for reading this and** _ **State of Play**_ **, and please leave a review on your way out.**


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